Cannonball
by I am the Color of Boom
Summary: 'Fly, then I fall every time that you call. I'm nothing but your cannonball.'. Alternate prehistoric-like universe. Human!Sirius Werewolf!Remus. RL/SB and mentions of JP/RL.
1. Lupin

**A/N** **:** _Cathartic_ is co-writing this with me, and titling and lyrics in summary are borrowed from ZZ Ward's song, check it out. :)

* * *

 **CANNONBALL**

* * *

Story synopsis: Sirius Black finds himself hurled into an alternate universe. That is where he meets Remus Lupin: the leader to a pack of prehistoric-like and cutthroat werewolves.

* * *

-Lupin-

* * *

Sirius Black shot a quick look over his shoulder in growing alarm. He was running at top speed through a thick forest. He wasn't the type to just run when he was scared, but this wasn't what he was used to, not even close.

The six-foot-three brunet cursed as he stumbled over a shallow root, his right ankle protesting loudly at the misstep, and he stopped for a second to lean over and catch his breath, his side burning.

"Shit. _Shit_."

Grey eyes clenched shut, and visions that were too unbelievable to acknowledge flashed through his racing mind, his heart pounding in his throat. He couldn't focus on it, it wouldn't—

He forced himself immediately up when he heard a twig snap from somewhere behind him. He searched the dark woods, the limbs to the trees sprawling and dark with dampness, the leaves all fern-like. Ferns, the first trees, he remembered learning that in an introductory biology class his first semester at Stanford.

Sirius swallowed hard, his throat raw and his chest heaving as he focused on listening for another sound. It wouldn't help to reminisce; he wasn't in that world anymore.

There was another snap, and Sirius spun immediately to face the noise, his eyes searching frantically for movement. Then. He saw _it_.

An animal not much larger than a chicken with feathers was staring up at him.

Sirius carefully stepped back, scanning the area for others. They hunted in groups he thought he remembered Regulus telling him a few years back. He spotted another, just a little behind him to his left. Then he heard a snap directly behind him. "Oh no."

He spun around, his pocket knife out.

Everything went black.

* * *

"He smells weird."

Sirius could feel the rough un-tanned leather bag around his head scraping against his eyelids, so he kept them shut. He tried to open his mouth only to find it gagged with a piece of cloth that tasted of sand, dirt, salt, and iron.

"I said back up," a voice said gruffly when Sirius felt something touch his bare foot, which he jerked away from reflexively. His bound hands clenched into fists, skin rubbing raw against the thin ropes he was tied with. "We wait until Lupin is back."

"Hmmph." The response was dissatisfied.

Sirius tried to swallow around his gag but choked instead. It seemed his life was in "Lupin's" hands, now. He plead with whatever divinities might exist that whoever that was took pity on him, but at the same time he began to twist his wrists, fighting desperately to get loose and ignoring how it cut into his flesh.

The ocean blew a misty breeze on to the bit of skin exposed where his shirt was pulled up. He was laying on some grass, or leaves, or something.

"I'm pretty hungry," a voice said. Sirius couldn't help but feel it was in his direction despite being unable to see the speaker. He held back a groan as he tried to find solid ground to push himself up without his hands.

"Wait, Fenrir."

There was no response, only growls that must have come from the undergrowth, animalistic as they were, when Sirius managed to get onto his knees, his tongue unfathomably dry, a gag hanging back but threatening.

Heaving uncomfortably for breath under the bag, he tried to crawl away on his knees, hoping against hope he would go undiscovered.

His knee caught on to a root and he started to roll.

"You let it get away!"

"Where was he gonna go?"

Suddenly the voices went quiet and Sirius felt something, or some _one_ pick him up and throw him over his shoulder, like he wasn't a fully grown man. The act knocked the breath out of his gut.

"Call everyone to the fire." Sirius felt involuntary chills down his spine at the voice that came from the someone who had tossed him over his shoulder.

"Yes, Lupin."

 _Oh god_.

* * *

Sirius squinted, in pain. The bag had been pulled off his head, the one called Lupin had growled something under his breath about inviting _all_ their deaths. The sun was painfully bright. No, that wasn't exactly right, the _suns_ were painfully bright, one shining down on his bare neck and exposed arms, the other right in his vision, making it hard to make out anything but vague shapes and black dots.

"Whose tribe is he from?"

Sirius tried to answer for himself, but he ended up choking instead, and he raged against his ties furiously, his ankles tied now too.

"Has he been doing that a lot?" was asked quietly... Lupin's voice Sirius thought, but he wasn't sure, because he was dry heaving. A low rumble of voices followed, and then Sirius felt a hand touch his shoulder. He flinched away and began struggling again, breathing harder—

"Stop that." The words quiet but spoke with such absolute certainty Sirius stopped in confusion. The dirty cloth was pulled out of his mouth and rolled down his chin until it lay loosely around his neck. "Can you remain silent?"

Sirius blinked a few times, a shadow hiding him from one of the suns... his thoughts began to drift away from him as anxiety—

A hand grasped his chin firmly, straining his neck. "If you want to live, your answer is yes."

Sirius wrinkled his forehead and nodded as he finally began to focus on the world around him, everything too large and foreign.

He was surrounded by men, most in a form of leather armor. Scars donned all of their exposed skin.

Green eyes.

Sirius blinked hard, eyes burning a little. Green eyes were staring down into his own.

The man above him was clean-shaven, sandy blond, surprisingly young. Though his face was unmarred, he was wearing only a pair of tan pants and a tattered white t-shirt, which showed that he also bore the scars the rest of the men had.

Lupin.

It felt weird to have a face to that name after the time he had spent in the sack.

He moved his dry tongue back and forth uncomfortably.

The suns were beginning to dim, one already on the horizon and the other still strangely high in the sky. The light from the distant gas giants splayed across the enormous leaves on the flora around him. Everything was unnaturally large.

Sirius couldn't help but jump, grey eyes wide, when an eagle, nearly the size of a man, flew overhead. The shadows of its wings were ominous.

"Fucking argies," one of the men muttered.

Lupin said nothing, only looked over to one of the others—they had to be his inferiors, with the way they deferred to him—and a fire was lit.

Stones surrounded the dry wood that was burning, the smell foreign and earthy underneath the smoke. Sirius felt himself sat up, because the guy 'Lupin' had just lifted him again and sat him upright.

"Try to look like you aren't _dinner_ ," Lupin growled.

Sirius blinked rapidly as his mind fought to process too many things. He didn't know how he'd ended up where he was or where he was, and the people who'd tied him up were definitely not normal... not to mention the _animals_. He said nothing, his only reaction his chest heaving more rapidly again, because he did want to live.

"Good." The man called Lupin stood quietly. "Undress him."

Sirius let out a muffled noise of disgruntlement as his shirt was torn away harshly with a sharp blade by an oversized man with eyes that were almost black. He sat more upright, clenching his jaw when a heavy silence fell over the space. The fire crackled deep blue and green as the one sun began to dip behind tall trees, the other still high in the sky beginning to subtly turn from yellow to green, and a inhuman scream sounded far away.

The leader Lupin sat down on a fallen tree, the others following his lead and backing away but for one who pulled Sirius to his feet roughly. The silence continued, and Sirius cleared his dry throat softly.

"Where are your scars?"

Sirius looked down at his heavily heaving chest and then back up, uncertain.

"Answer me."

Sirius blinked rapidly. He flinched slightly, and then he said in a low, rough voice, his throat parched, "Scars?"

"Cut him down," Lupin's voice cut into the air with finality. Everyone else went silent.

Sirius gasped a little as he found himself finally unbound. He hit the ground on his bruised knees. Hissing in pain, he squinted up at the approaching leader of the group of apparent savages.

A hand was extended to him.

* * *

The sandy blond man with scars had said nothing more. He had guided Sirius to his tent—or herded him into it, more accurately—and kept the tent shut behind him. Sirius had barely moved since, and there he sat, simply looking into a bowl of stew, unmoving.

Outside, some sort of terrifying celebration was taking place. There was the steady beat of drums in an upbeat, musical way, as well as loud voices. Sirius could see hand shadows being formed from the glow of the flames through the tent's thinner entrance. They were telling a story.

"Who are you?" the man asked suddenly breaking the silence, the sound of his voice surprisingly more modern in privacy. "My name is Remus. Now yours."

Sirius wet dry, cracked lips still abstaining from the food in the wooden carved dish. He had, after all, been previously suggested as their meal so he wasn't too sure about the stew steaming before him. "Black."

"I see... Black, are you royalty?"

Sirius turned his gaze up finally. He warily eyed the leader, giant shadows only growing behind him as the ground rumbled from the stomping feet of Lupin's tribe. "My parents might think so," he actually managed to joke.

The man studied him closely. "Do you joke with me?"

Sirius felt a level of apprehension grow inside his chest he'd not thought previously possible. "I was in my school, not here, in a different world. My professor asked me to check his new experiment... I think I fell in."

The blond man with intense green eyes squatted down beside him, his demeanor unsettling. He felt like he might turn on him at any moment without a second thought. He took a few moments to respond. "You don't repeat this, do you understand?"

Sirius nodded slightly. "What do I say?"

The man took a few more moments, then he stood slowly. "Nothing. You say nothing, Black."

"It's Sirius, Sirius Black," Sirius said, swallowing.

Eyebrows furrowed. "Sirius Black. Like the star?" He pointed up as he spoke, and then Sirius's eyes widened. The top of the tent shone thousands of tiny lights in an unnatural, almost magical way.

"Yeah?" Lupin gestured to one of the brightest blue gas giants.

Sirius stared up in amazement, the sight something out of another world. "Yeah..."

The leader of the monsters threw a searching look around the tent, like he expected someone to enter at any moment. "You're mine now."

Sirius's mind stuttered. "I—wha—"

"Mine." The blond turned to him, pure raw power emanated from him. "You are mine now, Sirius Black. Unless your wish is to die."

"I'm yours," Sirius replied, mouth dry. His tongue was moving faster than his mind.

What was happening to him?


	2. Just a Human

A/N: posting early, because i have no self control, haha. i might do bi-weekly posts if we keep writing and editing at a good rate... we will see

* * *

 **Just a Human**

* * *

"You have to eat," Lupin said. "Don't move quickly. You'll look like food. Okay?"

"Okay..." Sirius said. Because what do you say to that sort of question? No?

It must have been morning on the strange planet with its two suns soft yellow in the sky, but he wasn't even sure when or for how long he had slept. There were no beds like he knew, just long pieces of leather overtop bunched up grass, and Lupin. Lupin had settled down beside him much to Sirius's shock. He hadn't touched him or even spoken to him though, just fallen asleep in record time.

When Sirius stepped out of the tent, still with no shirt, his forearm was gripped by Lupin's clay-dusted hand. At least a hundred men covered in scars and armour were lined up for food. Bird-like reptiles were stuck on sticks, skinned, beheaded, and de-clawed. A large fire crackling off to the side with greenish-blue flames pervaded the thin morning air in a layer of smoke and charred meat, stinging his eyes.

A disorganized sort of eating space was marked by smoothed wooden seats made out of logs that had been struck down by lightning, almost too perfectly. Lupin moved straight towards what Sirius considered the head. It had extra space on either side, and there were four sticks of cooked meat sticking in the ground just in front of it.

"On the ground."

Sirius took only a moment to register the odd words directed at him before lowering stiffly to the ground. He sat at the feet of Lupin, who ignored him otherwise, seated on the large log as he began to eat. As if on cue, the rest of the tribe found a place with their leader served. With everyone around him beginning to eat, Sirius swallowed some of the saliva pooling in his mouth after refusing dinner, the unfamiliar aroma tempting him. He focused instead on the giant fern trees with leaves almost the size of his body, bordering the campsite on all sides. There were no other tents, but Sirius could make out some beds like the one he'd slept on under the line of trees just behind Lupin's tent. An uncomfortable knot formed in his chest as he realized how close they were—

"Lupin, have you finished with the outsider?"

Sirius felt Lupin's hand grip his shoulder suddenly as the one with black eyes stared down at him like a starving man. He refused to complain when Lupin's fingers dug painfully into his shoulder muscle, only gritting his back teeth together in response.

"No," was the only response given, and the one called Fenrir bared startlingly sharp teeth, a growl resonating in the air, as he turned away.

"That one," Lupin said, chewing carefully before he swallowed. "Would eat you."

Sirius couldn't help the grimace that spread across his lips in response. He shot an anxious glance over to the man— _monster_.

He was grey. His skin was scarred, every inch of it, even his face, which had turned to a sickly color of ash. His unkempt stubble and the hair on his head was also grey.

Sirius felt wild black eyes meet his own and that was when he knew he had looked on too long. He studied his bare feet, trying to concentrate on remembering when his socks and shoes had been taken from him, because he'd need them when he escaped. He found his breath growing impossibly shallow, lungs tightening, and muscles tensing—

"Eat."

Sirius closed his eyes for only a few beats before accepting the piece of meat he didn't recognize. He began to chew aggressively, working to calm himself down. He needed to eat if he was going to keep his strength up. His stomach turned rebelliously as grease dripped down his chin. He wiped it away, conscious of the numerous eyes focused on him. He didn't know how strong Lupin was or how deep loyalties ran for him, but he had to hope they were both significant.

He took another bigger bite when a few tribe members walked by rather slowly, remembering Lupin's warning the night before not to talk to anyone. Which was fine with him for now, because they didn't seem to care for him. The men—because they were _all_ men, no women—either ignored his presence completely or shot disturbing looks at him that made his skin crawl when they thought Lupin wasn't looking. He needed to get away as soon as possible, but first, he needed to find out where to go.

He'd woken the day before disoriented and lying on his back in an open field with dinosaur-like animals all around him. A huge cliff with a violent sea below had been one option for escape, the other had been what he'd taken. The forest.

The thought that there might not be anywhere to escape to crashed into Sirius like a heavy weight. There had to be other humans though, ones without so many scars, ones who lived more peacefully, maybe even ones that could help him get back to his world. They'd asked what tribe he was from—

"In the tent. Now."

Sirius looked up in surprise at the abrupt command. Lupin was not looking at him though, he was staring directly over his head, his jaw flexed menacingly and eyes pitch dark.

A few growls rose behind Sirius's back, and the guy found himself standing rather quickly. He waited for Lupin.

" _Go_." Lupin stood then, shoulders square, and Sirius hesitated for only another second more before backing up carefully towards the tent, noting at least five of the leather clad members standing up too. He slipped in just in time.

* * *

Sirius backed up at the instantaneous eruption of feral noises from outside the tent, heart beating uncontrollably fast as he looked at the thin flaps of the tent that separated him from the creatures making the violent sounds. It wouldn't hold, that much was obvious. He looked around himself for another exit, or a weapon.

There was a violent, muted crack, and like by magic the outside went blissfully silent.

Grey eyes wide, Sirius carefully crept toward what looked to be a damaged, dirty bag. Too modern for the prehistoric world he was in, surely...? He brushed the unimportant thought aside, shaking hand diving into the backpack. Brushing past heavy hardback books, he felt his knuckles brush something cold and metal.

He pulled out a boxcutting knife, a gasp of shocked relief escaping dry, cracked lips. It wouldn't save him, he knew that much, but damn if he couldn't use it to find a way out.

 _Howling_.

It was like a pack of wolves had replaced the fighting men outside. A few lonesome, bitter notes filled the air, the noise sending chilled goosebumps up Sirius's spine. He backed up, the back of his head tapping the declining roof of the tent before he sunk to a crouch, breathing shallow. He opened the rusted, aged knife, grimacing at the state it was in. He wished he still had his.

There was a thud, and then—

"Please, Remus, _no_ , Fenrir—you have to understand, he—"

 _Crack_.

Sirius watched, everything feeling like it was in slow motion; the silhouette of a burly, well-built man sunk to the ground, his neck falling from what could only have been Lupin's hands. Sirius felt his stomach crawl up into his throat. He'd snapped his neck. He'd _killed_ him.

"Oh fucking hell," he mumbled, sweating hand holding the stolen knife tighter.

The tent shook a little as the entrance was parted, Remus Lupin's increasingly familiar face settled in a disconcertingly unaffected expression as he looked at Sirius.

He paused, glancing down at the knife carefully. "You took that from me?" he asked, gesturing to the weapon with bloodied hands. His previously off-white shirt had splattered blood, not yet dried, soaking the front.

"I'm going to be sick," Sirius said, narrowed eyes darting to a pool of blood scarcely visible behind Lupin from the parted tent. "Sorry," he added roughly, dropping the weapon appeasingly.

The sandy blond's posture softened, and he stepped inside, letting the tent shut behind him and ignoring the wind that ruffled it behind him.

There was a sudden rustling of movement outside. Sirius looked past the approaching man anxiously.

"They're just cleaning up the carrion," Lupin said, noting the human's focus behind him. Sirius looked back sharply to green eyes, bewilderment apparent in his expression.

"Who are you people?" Sirius asked, a little out of breath, blood pumping to his frozen muscles, tempting him to do something very stupid.

The man exhaled shortly from his nostrils, and Sirius flinched when he collapsed on to the ground in front of him, leaning in too close for comfort—he could smell the blood on him.

"You tell me, Sirius Black. Who are you?"

Sirius stumbled over the question. "I'm just a human... and _you_?" he pushed stubbornly, despite knowing already. Remus was definitely not human, even if he looked it.

The blond man swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing as he shifted even closer to Sirius on the ground, his right knee pressing into his shin. "You'll find out what I am soon enough," he said gruffly.

What... he'd said 'what' not who. Sirius stopped breathing when Lupin picked up the box knife he'd found, holding it just inches from Sirius's exposed stomach in an almost idle fashion. The brunet's thoughts began to swim dizzily, and he struggled to keep it together.

"This would not protect you from me..." was said in an oddly quiet way, Lupin's tone almost sounding melancholy to Sirius, but then it turned to ice. "Don't ever try it, because I _will_ respond accordingly." He looked into Sirius's eyes, and Sirius realized they were almost the same height for the first time.

"Is that why you don't wear armor?" Sirius demanded. Regretting it immediately, he sucked in a soft breath as Lupin slowly raised the blade between them, stopping to hold it directly under his chin.

"I bleed, Sirius," he said, softly, "but I do not die... do you die?"

Sirius raised his chin up and to the side slightly, trying to cringe away from the rusted blade, his heart suddenly in his throat. "Mm. Last time I checked," he somehow joked roughly.

Lupin studied him intently for a few beats, his green eyes probing. Then he relented, much to Sirius's relief, and lowered the blade to close it and deftly toss it over into his still open bag. "Your humor is misplaced," he said, but he seemed somewhat appeased despite his warning.

Sirius grimaced as the bloodied man continued to sit too close, and he mentally addressed something he hadn't let himself really do yet. He eyed the commanding figure beside him, and how it curled towards him in a more than platonic way. He'd think it was maybe because that was their culture, but he'd seen them all interact. No one got into anyone else's space, they were all stiff and aggressive in their stance. Definitely not like this.

The blond man dipped his chin and leaned in towards Sirius as if reading his mind, his lips just shy of Sirius's ear. "Are you still innocent?" he husked, his breath hot against his exposed skin.

Sirius felt a shiver run down his spine, and fingers touched to his side just below his ribs, the feeling tacky from blood, tainting his skin. He swallowed softly, resisting the intense urge to move away. _Innocent_? He hummed uncertainly, still not positive but then teeth grazed his earlobe, and Sirius jumped, no longer confused. " _Yeah_ ," he said abruptly, and Lupin paused, "yeah, I mean yes, I am, ah, still that."

After a few beats of silence there was an exhale, the sound heavy and dissatisfied. Lupin leaned back, and Sirius met alarmingly dilated pupils full on, fully committing to the lie if it could save him.

Remus gave him a sweeping glance. "And yet you are not a warrior either, for you have no scars. Why do you do neither?"

Sirius swallowed around a lump. "In my world we don't have to be one or the other."

Remus nodded just barely, like he understood, and Sirius almost felt a swell of gratitude towards the dangerous leader. "You are in this world now though, and you will have to choose soon," he said matter-of-factly, squashing any good will forming towards him, and then he stood with a soft growling noise. He exited the tent, leaving Sirius alone, much to his dismay.

Howls filled the air just outside the tent once more, and the tall, raven-haired guy covered his head with his forearms, leaning down against bent knees to block it out. He needed to escape. _Very_ soon.


	3. Not Worthless

A/N: just me this time :)

* * *

 **Not Worthless**

* * *

Sirius sat on the 'bed' he evidently shared with Lupin, an unopened book lay in his lap. He hadn't left the confines of the tent the entire day except for once to relieve himself quickly, and it was getting dark now. He was hungry, and he was starting to worry Lupin had abandoned him after what he'd said. It had been a lie, of course; he was twenty years old, and he'd been with lots of people, guys included. In fact, mostly just guys anymore.

Sirius glanced up at the sheer ceiling of the tent, there were so many stars in this world. His grey eyes slowly drew to the brightest one. Lupin had known about the Sirius star, and he had _books_ and familiar tools, and they all knew English; in fact, he hadn't heard them speak anything else. Lupin even wore regular clothes, but then there were the dinosaurs... It didn't make any sense. It was a weird mixture of past and present, and he somehow fit into it. Not well though, because while he could talk to them, he couldn't match their strength or aggression.

What had happened to bring him here? He remembered going into his physics professor's office late Friday night to ask about extra credit, because he'd needed a guaranteed A in the class. Dr. Riddle had agreed to look into it and then asked him to check on his experiment down the hall in his personal lab, said he thought he might have left the power on to it by accident. Sirius was only in the guy's non-major introductory course, being a pre-law student, but he'd assumed unplugging some machine couldn't be too hard.

Grey eyes slowly closed, and the tall raven-haired guy stopped the train of thought as violent, inhuman screechings followed by terrifying growls sounded not too far from the tent. Why had he turned the leader down again? His reasons were failing him in his sudden state of growing panic.

It wasn't that he was completely against the idea of being intimate with Lupin... well, he was when he was covered in someone else's blood; he wasn't going to lie to himself, that had _really_ freaked him out. He'd never witnessed someone's death, even through a tent. But he was pretty sure Lupin'd killed them for his protection. He'd felt the animosity towards him, so he could really only be so sympathetic after spending the day somewhat traumatized over their untimely deaths. No, if he'd met Remus Lupin in his own world—and not tied up and gagged, or just not listened to him murder a handful of guys—he'd have been interested in the dark blond from the start. He was tall and leanly muscular, quiet, unerringly confident, all things Sirius found very appealing in a hookup. It was more the fact that he felt like that wasn't what Lupin wanted from him... at least not the only thing. The leader of the violent tribe was definitely not trying to woo or date him, it was almost more like he wanted to own Sirius. No. It was exactly that.

Sirius had fallen into some messed up world where one either fought for their life, or someone had to fight for it for them. Which meant he probably needed to be valuable to that person if they were going to risk their own to do so... Lupin was protecting him from everyone else now, but if he turned him down he'd probably either be turned over to them or kicked out. Both would undoubtedly lead to his quick death.

" _Fuck_." Sirius ran a hand roughly through his short black locks, growing more agitated. Because he might not survive even if he said yes, he wasn't absolutely sure he could handle a physical relationship with the blond leader. He remembered being carried over Lupin's shoulder like he weighed nothing, and the other men had had no trouble subduing him when they'd first found him. He wasn't as strong, there was no fucking question about it. They were monster-like in their strength.

Sirius stared down at the leather bound book with no words on its cover. He'd grabbed it out of the bag just minutes before, needing some kind of distraction, but then he'd gotten sidetracked by its strange existence. Why did Lupin have books? He opened it to the first page idly, and his grey eyes widened minutely.

It was a journal and Remus Lupin was its owner.

Sirius ignored a quiet noise outside the tent that sounded just like a soft breeze, flipping the page. It was labeled 10 years in the future. Pitch dark brows furrowed slightly, and he started to read the first entry when the flap to the tent was pulled back.

Sirius dropped the book into his lap as his gaze jerked up in surprise. Lupin stood there, his expression unreadable. He no longer wore the bloodied white shirt, his torso was exposed. It was covered with giant scars, like he'd been mauled over and over by some beast.

" _That_ is not yours."

Sirius nodded quickly, relief filling him at the guy's appearance despite the circumstances. "I didn't know it was personal. Sorry." He held it up in offering.

Lupin took it away with a scowl, turning away from Sirius to place it back into his bag that Sirius had found out not only contained literature textbooks but also oddly an old compass, ruined matches, a flashlight that no longer worked and what might be a map of the area; he was going to check a few points if he ever left the tent again for an extended period.

Lupin tied the string into a knot at the opening, and then he stood again and glowered down at Sirius. "Have you eaten?"

Sirius looked down at his hands. He studied his dirty palms, and his jaw flexed reflexively. "No," he managed to say quietly, some emotion thumping hard at his chest. He was thirsty too. "I don't know how to get food here," he admitted. He wouldn't lie to Lupin anymore, it had been a bad idea.

Lupin hummed, the sound almost a growl. He walked to the door and stepped out. After a few moments of relative silence he returned. He placed a small leather bag in his hand, Sirius realizing with relief it contained water, and a wooden plate with cold meat and some red berries before him on the ground.

"Thank you," Sirius said, drinking most of the water before picking up the plate and eating greedily.

"How did you get food where you're from?"

Sirius looked up in surprise at the blond as he settled down on the bed beside him. He was careful not to stare at the scars as he slowed his chewing to say, "People would give it to me."

Remus eyed him with curiosity, his green gaze probing. "Why?"

Sirius swallowed a few berries that tasted almost like a strawberry but looked more like a raspberry. "I gave them money for it," he said simply, and then with a faint smile, when his response only gathered more confusion, "people work for money in my world, and they collect it and then use it to get things they want, because _everyone_ wants money."

"You _worked_?" was asked with raised brows.

Sirius laughed at that, and he felt the guy tense beside him at the sound so he coughed to cover it as he struggled to stop. He ate some more. "Uh no... my parents did, and they had a lot, so they gave me what I needed."

Lupin sat quietly for a few beats. "So you are worthless."

Sirius let his mouth hang open, indignation and agitation suddenly making it difficult to respond how he probably should. "Maybe in this world..." he allowed with effort, and then he couldn't help but add, "but in mine, I was very fucking important."

The blond leader studied him closely, and his gaze slowly started to shift to another emotion Sirius knew well. "Do I insult you, Sirius Black?" he asked lowly.

Sirius looked away and took the last bite of food, chewing slowly and fighting down the urge to hold the dangerous man's gaze. "Yeah, a little bit, Remus Lupin," he answered, flat. His upper body tensed, he set his plate back on the ground.

"I am sorry, it's not my intention." Then he surprised Sirius when he pressed his face into the side of his neck and exhaled softly. "You are not worthless here, I want you for myself..."

Sirius felt his lungs tighten and his breathing picked up its pace. He'd wondered when Lupin would bring this up again. Clearly, he moved quickly. Sirius nodded faintly, the simple action somehow one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "You, ah, you like me...?" His low voice failing him somewhat.

Warm lips pressed to the skin just below Sirius's neck, not in a kiss per se, but more so like the blond was resisting biting him... "I want you," was his answer, and his hand slid over Sirius's thigh.

Sirius groaned softly at the intimate touch, and he flexed his hips forward minutely, his body beginning to respond to the blond's nearness. "You might be too strong for me," he said roughly, voicing one of the concerns that he couldn't seem to brush off in his desperation.

"I can be gentle," Lupin husked, and his hand touched lightly to Sirius's chest directly over his pounding heart, staying there, palm open. "I will not break you, you have my word."

Sirius felt goosebumps spread out all over his body at the whispered words, and he breathed in slowly, something in the guy's scent intoxicating. He found himself nodding again, despite the warning bells going off in his head. He'd work with what he had, and escape when he could. "If I agree, can we go slow?" he asked, matching Lupin's tone, remembering again how close the tribe kept to the tent at night.

The blond hummed against his neck, the sound impatient, his teeth scraping a rough path down to Sirius's shoulder. "For now."

Sirius let his eyes slide shut and exhaled softly as a hand began to slip down his chest and then stomach. Fingernails gently scraped over unmarred skin, leaving a trail of tingling heat in their wake, and Sirius's lungs worked even harder to dull his thoughts with too much oxygen. He had a feeling slow for the blond was not what he'd had in mind...

A hand settled in his lap, and he groaned when it grasped him through his pants. "Okay, okay, let's do this," he breathed.

"Lie down," was growled.

Sirius lowered down onto his side silently at the command, tensing when the blond moved behind him to do the same. He fought to slow his breaths. Lupin's touches were slow but deliberate, his arm wrapped around Sirius's chest as he began to trail indistinct patterns over the bare skin of his lower stomach, edging closer and closer to his pants' line. "I might not be here tomorrow night," he said against the nape of Sirius's neck. "If not, you do not leave this tent."

Sirius found himself arching somewhat into the light touches. "Why? Will I die?" he asked with a sharp huff.

"Yes." Lupin pulled Sirius back against his body and growled softly at the sensation. "Your humor, it doesn't have a place here, Sirius."

Sirius found his breaths becoming ragged as hips rolled forward, the blond leader rocking against him in a very obvious demonstration of what _exactly_ he wanted from Sirius very soon. He found himself responding eagerly to the heated touches, wanting more despite what he'd said. " _Lupin_..."

Hands grew more demanding, one grabbing his side firmly, the other sliding down and palming him over his zipper. Sirius groaned and his hips jerked forward eagerly.

"I need to do this so _no one_ else will touch you," was husked, then with no further explanation he bit down on Sirius's shoulder _hard_ and gripped his hip painfully, pinning him in place when he tried to pull away.

Sirius gasped as teeth sunk more into his skin, bruising it, a threatening growl rumbling low in Lupin's chest, sounding like a wild animal protecting its prey. Endorphins flooded his body, and he suddenly wanted the guy to touch him even more, he wanted—

Lupin released him completely and rolled onto his back. Sirius felt abandoned at the suddenness of it, but he didn't roll over. He worked to gather his breath instead and his thoughts. How had he gone along with all that so easily? He could hear the blond leader breathing unsteadily behind me, and he found some consolation in the fact he'd been affected too. He shifted some and grimaced when his shoulder flared in pain. He touched it and hissed when his hand found blood. " _Fuck_ , Lupin."

"Do you not know pain in your world either?" The words sounded almost bitter, and Sirius clenched his jaw tightly. "You will come out with me tomorrow not just hide in here like today. My men must see you if you're to earn their loyalty."

Sirius settled back down, the guy's last words distracting. He still didn't look back. "All right."


	4. Useful

**-Useful-**

* * *

An inlet of calm water spread out in both directions, turquoise and sparkling twice as brilliantly thanks to the two white-hot suns directly above. A tree-knitted mountain in its backdrop was perfectly visible even at its peak, all of the fog from the morning burned away. Massive winged-animals soared near its summit, their size obvious despite the distance.

"Join me, Sirius."

Sirius turned his wide gaze to Lupin. The blond leader had stepped into shallow waters, and he appeared on high alert like he was expecting to be attacked. Sirius swallowed gingerly as he noticed an unnatural swell in the serene waters at least fifty yards out. "Is it safe...?"

"No, join me."

Sirius's brows furrowed, but he took a tentative step forward, the cool waters splashing up around his bare feet, chilled sand soft and sinking beneath his weight. He blew out a tight breath from pursed lips when he heard a weird, deep trumpeting noise far behind him. The tribe was back there somewhere, and they were silent, so it was probably fine.

Water began to creep up his shins, and he searched for movement at the lake's surface as he continued to wade out carefully towards Lupin, his pants rolled up just above his knees, shoes abandoned back on shore. He stopped by his side and looked down slightly to meet green eyes up close. "Here I am."

Lupin eyed him curiously. "You're very skittish."

Sirius raised his brows and sucked on his lower lip. The bridge of his nose, his neck and upper back were already feeling warm like he'd gotten too much sun. He eyed the blond back, and then he shot a small glance back at the sandy shore where he wished they both were. "That's because I need air to survive..." he said back idly, noting he'd yet to be corrected for joking that day. The blond leader had seemed in high spirits upon leaving the camp. It was subtle though, Sirius had noticed.

His step seemed to have a little more energy behind it, his shoulders were wider, and... he hadn't been bothered at all by Sirius's inability to not joke. Sirius'd wondered idly a few times if it had anything to do with what they'd done the night before. Not that it had been much, but it _had_ been something... enough that he'd had some disconcerting dreams afterwards.

"So what's the plan? Are we fishing?" Sirius asked, despite neither of them having any form of equipment. He looked down into the crystal clear water surrounding them, scanning it for anything that might try to eat him. Sirius knew his current place in the food chain, and unfortunately, it was at the _very_ bottom; something he meant to work on changing as soon as possible, because he couldn't just expect Lupin to protect him. Even if that was their agreement for the time being. Shit. He'd told the insanely strong guy he was willing to let him use his body in exchange for safety; it made him feel like a damsel in distress or something equally pathetic.

Sirius spotted a school of fish each about the size of his hand, and the next thing he knew they darted past him, through and around his legs before he could even blink, kicking up cold swirls of water all around his feet.

"Can you catch fish with your hands?" Lupin asked, moving out further and motioning Sirius to follow with a slight nod of his chin.

Sirius sighed unhappily, but he followed, even as water began to soak into the legs of his pants. "No, can you?"

The leader tilted his head to shoot Sirius a long look out of the corner of his vision, the lighter parts of his blond hair catching in the sun and glowing gold. "If needed, but we are not here to fish, Sirius."

Sirius frowned, stopping once more beside him, confused. They'd walked all morning to get to where they were, and for what, to just take a dip? "Then why—"

A heart-stopping roar filled the air without warning and vibrated the ground beneath Sirius's feet. He jerked around to see a massive bird-like creature, with purple and blue and red feathers closely tucked to its body, standing at the shore directly behind them. It was at least fifteen feet tall, and it had razor sharp teeth and deadly claws.

Sirius couldn't swallow, his heart felt like it had stopped.

"Stay calm, my men will get her," Lupin murmured, not seeming surprised at all by the beast that appeared to be hunting them. "Come in a little further. Slowly."

Sirius blinked rapidly, not wanting to move as the creature stared directly at him, but he found himself trusting Lupin's directions as he took a careful step in the direction of his voice.

The creature roared furiously, and it started to rush forward in the blink of an eye. Sirius stumbled towards Lupin in panic, but just when he thought he was dead for sure a giant rope rose from the water, and the beast fell forward with another cry.

Lupin immediately sprinted towards the beast much to Sirius's shock, and then he was on top of it, wrapping his arms around its giant neck barely able to hold on, and Sirius had no clue what to do. He started to rush forward too like a complete idiot when something in Lupin's hand glinted in the sun, and then it was plunged into the side of the beast's long neck.

Sirius watched Lupin dig the blade repeatedly into the side of the creature's throat as it struggled to shake him off, and it looked like it might do just that when the blade was buried yet again, and a giant spurt of blood began to pour down its throat.

It roared again, louder, but then it cut off into a terrible gurgling sound. And then Sirius watched as it slowly dropped down into the waters like a felled tree.

Lupin jumped off the animal immediately, and he reached down into bloody waters to grab up the rope that had saved them. Two of his men rushed forward from seemingly out of nowhere, and they quickly bound the dying animal without any words exchanged. Sirius couldn't help but watch the pumping blood spread like some kind of disease into the once crystal clear waters, and the thought that it could have just as easily been his settled uneasily in his thoughts.

"Come, Sirius, back to shore."

Sirius jumped when a hand touched his shoulder, and he found himself looking into excited green eyes. "Were we _bait_ for that thing?" He'd shouted, but he really needed to know.

"No, just you," Lupin said, and he began to pull him towards shallow water. "A raptor wouldn't hunt me."

Sirius felt a growl rumble in his chest. A raptor wouldn't—"Holy _fuck_ , Lupin, why didn't you tell me?!" He pulled away from the guy, stopping again stubbornly.

" _Stop_ ," Lupin said lowly, reaching out and gripping his arm more tightly, pulling him forward forcefully until they'd reached dry sand, the dead animal being hauled out of the water by a large group of his men. The blond gritted his teeth, baring them, as he leaned in towards an unrepentant but quiet Sirius. "You are earning your keep, be _pleased_."

Sirius's lips twitched, and he felt the adrenaline coursing through this muscles. He stepped closer to the blond, using his height to his advantage, his breaths shallow and quick. "You really think treating me like fucking _prey_ when I'm not serving as your personal bitch is going to earn me _any_ respect from your men?"

The blond leader stared back at him, unblinking, the only sign he was unhappy a flexing jaw. "Yes, useful is _useful_ ," he said, sounding like he meant it. "We wouldn't have been able to bring in such a large predator without you, and we needed it tonight."

Sirius scoffed, and he knew he needed to just drop it. He barely knew Lupin, and he was throwing a fit in front of all of his men, not to mention he was visibly shook up from the whole experience... not that he could look much more pathetic at that moment. He scanned the area in agitation, keeping in a snide response purely by reminding himself repeatedly that it might just get him killed.

The other tribesmen who'd been watching their interaction began to work again, all of them surrounding the giant creature to lift it.

Lupin released Sirius's arm and turned away, stalking off without him.

* * *

Sirius entered the tent that was his home for the moment with a sigh. He was exhausted after walking half the day and almost being eaten. He huffed an unhappy breath and dropped down onto the uncomfortable bed he shared with Lupin.

Sirius chewed on the inside of his cheek as he stared up at the tent's sheer ceiling. The blond leader wasn't happy with him, Sirius could tell. He'd not looked at or spoken to him since the shore, and Sirius had gone directly into the tent upon arrival back at the base. He didn't feel like eating anyway, not if it meant sitting on the ground by Lupin's feet for the duration.

He let tired grey eyes slowly fall shut, his skin tingling still from the memory of the two unforgiving suns, and soon he was asleep, blissfully unaware of what the night would bring.


	5. Potter

**-Potter-**

* * *

Howls. Howls and growls. There was a fight.

Sirius lay frozen on the bed, not daring to move. There were wild animals just outside his tent, the sound of them had woken him just seconds ago. The sound of gnashing teeth, claws digging into flesh, growls that sounded of impending death. He'd almost felt like crying when he'd realized Lupin was not there. Shit. Shit. He was going to fucking die, he was going to be ripped to shreds and eaten, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

 _No_. No no no. Sirius pushed himself up and crept towards Lupin's bag, finding his courage, his heart in his throat. He fought with the knotted strings of the bag in the dark but got it open just as another piercing howl split the very air he breathed. Shit. He grabbed out the knife and flicked it open.

Then he backed up to a corner, crouching down, holding the rusted blade closely to his heaving chest. He would die fighting, no more running—

The noises cut off all of a sudden, and the tent flap jerked back a second later without warning. An imposing silhouette backlit by a muted gray morning sky flashed in his vision before it disappeared, the tent flap falling shut. Lupin. Relief flooded Sirius's senses without permission. "Oh, uh, you were up late..." he said, hoarse, as he pushed himself upright, struggling to not let out a relieved sounding sigh. Standing and feeling unsure, his muscles still tense in preparation for a fight he'd thought to be his last, he tried to swallow around a hiccup.

Lupin said nothing, even better, didn't seem to notice Sirius was on the verge of losing his cool. Then, much to Sirius's surprise, the stoic blond dropped down to his knees before him without any kind of warning, like his legs had just given out on him. Sirius blinked slowly, and he watched in confusion, pure exhaustion mixed with fear-fueled adrenaline slowing his thoughts, as the leader crawled onto the bed. Falling onto his side with a grunt, he lay perfectly still.

Sirius blinked a few more times in the relative dark, unsure as to the time. The stars were gone, but the suns were not above the tent yet so it was still early. He'd been out all night.

He peered down at the leader, running fingers through his hair to smooth it back, but his hand stopped halfway through as he noticed something odd. Lupin was shivering.

"Hey... are you okay?" he asked slowly.

The blond leader said nothing, but then Sirius thought he heard teeth chattering. He crouched down, quietly setting aside the knife he'd been ready to use. He didn't think he saw any new wounds in the dim light, just old scars. So he reached out carefully, his hand tremoring. He sucked in a sharp breath when he felt the blond's arm. "You feel like _ice_ , Lupin," he said, dark brows furrowing on their own.

"I'm f-fine," was growled back rather ineffectively. "Leave me _alone_ , Black."

Sirius thought about that. It wasn't really any of his business if Lupin was under the weather or whatever... or freezing to death possibly—fuck—but it kinda was if he wanted to make it past noon.

He touched the back of his hand to the guy's rough cheek, cold too. Then he checked his pants legs; they were dry. The guy just continued to shiver, his movement growing more violent by the second.

Sirius cursed. He couldn't start a fire inside there realistically. So he did the only thing he could think of. "Let me warm you," he said quietly, trying to hide his hesitation. He settled down next to him, ignoring the blond's mumbles of dissent. He shifted closer and wrapped an arm around him, guiding the guy's face into the crook of his neck when he turned into him, pressing his own warm body firmly against his freezing one.

Lupin groaned softly, sounding unhappy, angry maybe even, but he didn't fight Sirius, and Sirius began to rub his hand along his back quickly for friction. "Let's just get you a little warmer, hm?"

"Our numbers are critically low now," Lupin growled, sounding like he was angry with himself.

Sirius swallowed gently, moving his hand and warming a new section of the blond's back despite a sinking feeling. "What happened to them...?"

Lupin buried his lips against Sirius's throat. "I had to kill them." The words whispered, hiding any emotion that might have colored the statement.

Sirius nodded faintly. "Right..." His thoughts began to drift on him. What was he thinking? Why did he believe he was safer with this man? He killed his own, and for what? What reason could he possibly have to kill them? "Well... ah, I'm assuming they deserved it?" He cleared his throat with effort when lips remained pressed to the skin below his jaw.

"No one deserves to die, there is only those who do, and those who don't, Sirius."

Sirius let his eyes slowly slide shut. His heart was galloping, and he felt like laughing in desperation. He was cuddling a murderer...

An unsteady exhale tickled his neck, and he felt careful fingertips on his side, lips grazing up the side of his ear questioningly. He tensed almost immediately, and Lupin's hand lifted and lips drew back.

"You will eat this morning." The leader sounded suddenly much better, if unhappy too, and Sirius realized their bodies were almost the same temperature once more. He didn't respond. It figured he'd start bossing him around like usual as _soon_ as he felt better. "And you will call me Remus. From now on."

Sirius rolled onto his back, putting space between them. "Any other requests?" he asked, dry.

"Those are not requests."

Sirius felt an unhappy laugh sneak out as he exhaled. "Yes, sir."

Remus said nothing for a long moment, and Sirius almost thought he'd fallen asleep in the freakishly quick way he tended to. "I need someone today, Sirius," he said, unusually quiet, "I will have someone, tonight. I am warning you now, so you won't be surprised. But you will have to leave the tent for it."

Sirius didn't look over, despite the shocking news. He had to mean sex. Lupin was going to fuck someone. Someone who wasn't him, and that was probably due to the fact Sirius had asked to take things slowly. He felt an odd combination of emotions in his chest, but he forced himself to focus on the good ones. He was relieved. "How will that affect me?" he asked, cautious.

"It won't, not this time," was said in a way that kept Sirius from feeling too good about it.

Sirius nodded slightly. "Okay. Where will I sleep?"

"With the rest of my men. You will be safe."

Sirius hoped that was true. Then he asked one more question he couldn't hold back. "Who?" he asked, his voice oddly rough.

"My second in command. Potter. He will be in charge of you today while I'm away. I'll be gone until nightfall."

* * *

Sirius discreetly studied the black-haired man as he passed by. He was about Lupin's height. He had broader shoulders, not as broad as Sirius's though. He was confident, it was easy to tell. From the slow, almost lazy, way he scanned the grounds to the way he interacted with the other men, casual in his movements. He was respected too. James Potter. Sirius frowned slightly.

He didn't like him.

Sirius had made an effort to not interact with any of Lupin's men the short time he'd been there. He hadn't spoken to them, didn't even look at them if he could help it. After all, his very first impression of them had been less than glowing, but now here he was... alone with them; Lupin nowhere to be seen. He hadn't even bothered to tell Sirius where he was going for the day after seemingly being out all night. Just said that he'd be back in time to kick him out of the tent for sleep.

Dark brows furrowed, and Sirius struggled not to be worried.

Worried, he was just worried about it, nothing else. Had Lupin and Potter been together before? Was this a first? If so, what if Lupin decided he really liked it, what if he wasn't interested in Sirius anymore afterward? Potter could protect himself, and Lupin'd trusted him enough to make him second in command. Sirius had only proved himself good as bait so far, and he'd complained about it afterwards like a little bitch to make it worse. Would he be forced to stay outside of the tent every night if Lupin redirected his interest? Would Lupin still guarantee his safety, if so? Or would he kill him one night, like his other men, just because he could?

Sirius chewed on the tough piece of meat between his teeth. Trying to change his depressing train of thought but failing miserably, he sat alone on a log, eating some charred meat left for him thanks to Lupin. Maybe he'd played too hard to get, not that he was really playing... He could've just sucked it up, though, let the blond leader fuck him when he'd wanted to. Now, now he had no clue if he was safe anymore.

"Get up, Black, you're coming with me."

Grey eyes slowly turned up to meet bored hazel orbs. Sirius swallowed and found his expression hardening as he looked upon one James Potter. "I'm not going fucking anywhere with you," he said snidely, feeling recklessly belligerent for no apparent reason.

The guy cleared his throat, and Sirius half-expected him to grab his arm and pull him up bodily like Lupin probably would, instead he gave a shrug. "Fine, stay." Then he turned away and began to stalk away from the center of camp.

Sirius found himself standing up, unsure, as he watched the man making his way for the tree line. He was leaving him alone with the rest of the tribe. Shit. "Potter, wait." He picked up a jog when the guy didn't slow, disappearing into the woods. He followed after him quickly, ferns smacking him in the face as he breached the wall of massive trees, he ducked down, refusing to slow. Then he stopped when he heard the odd sound of laughter.

Potter had stopped and was turned around, grinning at him, the expression not overly friendly but amused. "Did I scare you, Black?"

Sirius scowled slightly. "Lupin would've been mad if you'd just left me there."

The guy laughed even more as he began to walk again, and Sirius followed after him angrily. He was starting to understand why Lupin didn't like it when he laughed now.

"Remus would have gotten over it. He always does," he said with a casual sniff.

Sirius said nothing to that, just studied the guy critically as he walked behind him. He wore the leather armor-styled clothes the other men wore in an effortless way only really in shape people could. He was clean shaven, his features not necessarily handsome in the classical sense but in a boyish way, and his hair was wild. The pitch black locks stuck up in every direction, like a mad man might style his hair, or some punk rich kid Sirius would have probably befriended in his universe.

Sirius glanced around the too green forest as they continued on in silence, watching for any signs of danger the further in they moved. There was an intermittent cold breeze that, when whipped up, made the hairs at the nape of his neck stand up. And there were angry calls from far above, not exactly bird-like but not like any mammal Sirius had heard either. Potter didn't seem concerned, but Sirius didn't trust him after what he'd said. If he was attacked and killed the guy would probably just shrug it off and keep walking.

"We're going to the ocean, have you been there?"

Sirius nodded his head out of habit, but then spoke up when he remembered the guy wasn't looking at him. "Yeah, when I first got here."

There was an awkward silence, and Sirius grimaced as he realized what he'd just said.

"Well, we need sea grass. I do, not you." There was a private smile to the words that had Sirius prickling, but he refused to ask what he meant. "Do you want him?"

Sirius watched Potter hop effortlessly over a giant fallen tree that was over four feet in diameter, only using a planted hand to guide his lower body neatly over. Sirius climbed over it quickly, jaw flexing. He jumped down from it and landed silently in a patch of green moss. "Who? Remus?" he asked gruffly, calling him by his first name for practice, but definitely not because Potter called him by it.

Potter hummed a distracted yes as he crouched down to study the ground for some reason. Tracks or animal shit, maybe... Sirius really didn't know the first thing about survival.

Sirius exhaled heavily through his nostrils. "I barely know him."

The wild-haired guy glanced up at him, still crouched down with one hand flat to the forest's ground. He grinned. "First impression then."

Sirius sucked on his teeth, fighting against the urge to kick the smiling guy in the face. "Why do you care?"

Potter's grin grew, and he stood back up, not seeming to notice his palm was covered in a fine layer of black dirt. Then he said something Sirius would have never expected. "He was mine before you showed up. It was nothing official though," he said, shooting his gaze pointedly at Sirius's healing shoulder, Remus's four canines marking it in a distinct pattern. He was pretty sure it was going to scar. "He must really want you to've done that."

Sirius blinked as his mind processed the words.

"At least twenty moons," was said, and then the guy began to cut through the forest once again with an ease that frustrated Sirius as he struggled to follow so quickly. "We were together after each one, although, for some reason we are again tonight."

Sirius struggled to keep his breathing silent. It was growing labored as they practically jogged through the oversized underbrush. He knew what the guy was getting at, but he refused to admit he wasn't having sex with Remus yet. "What does it mean?" he asked instead, motioning at his shoulder when Potter shot a look back at him. "Why did he do it?"

The guy laughed harshly, and Sirius gritted his teeth. "It's a message, meaning... no one can touch or desire to touch you but him. Ever. The punishment— _death_. By marking you in such a way, he says that you are his favorite and will always be, and so he is bound by our laws to protect his claim on you against all."

Sirius felt an unexpected rush of heat in his chest and at the nape of his neck. He'd figured it meant something to the effect that he was Lupin's—no—Remus's property. But that sounded decidedly more intense and... permanent. Sirius's side began to burn as they kept up the brutal pace, Potter speeding up if anything.

"He is stupid." The wild-haired man spat at the ground in disgust. "He has welcomed open challenges against him in our tribe by doing so, and now he is a target. Before, no one dared challenge him, not with the tribe behind him. He must fight these alone though, and many have seen it as a chance to overthrow him."

Sirius frowned, even as his breathing grew more rapid. "I didn't ask him to do it," he snapped back, despite feeling guilty. Was that why Remus had shown up so cold? He didn't know exactly why that would be connected, but he had seemed oddly better after he'd warmed up some.

Potter spun around without warning, and Sirius had to catch himself before plowing straight into the guy. Potter glared up the couple inches separating them. "Didn't you?" he asked Sirius quietly.

Sirius shook his head, dark brows raising meaningfully. "No, I didn't," he said lowly.

Potter just stared at him then, like he wasn't sure if he believed him. Then he gave a small shrug and started walking again at an absurdly quick pace. "Either way, if Remus dies, you will follow him shortly," he threw the words casually over his shoulder.

Sirius said nothing to that, not sure if it was the most laid-back threat he'd ever received, or if it was just the inevitable being relayed to him.


	6. Upset

**Upset**

* * *

Sirius watched distractedly as Potter stirred a pot of seaweed that he'd brought to a boil and now was letting cool. The two were back at camp, Remus still not returned.

The tall dark-haired guy was seated on a log across from Lupin's second in command, blue and green flames mostly out, a white smoke still sneaking up between them and towards a deep blue sky thickly blanketed in stars.

The men behind him were still eating after an hour of gorging and—anytime Sirius chanced a glance over—pointedly _not_ looking at him... which was weird... Sirius had never felt like someone was not looking at him specifically, it was a very strange feeling. But they all were looking everywhere _but_ the few feet of space he was currently taking up.

"Still hungry?"

"Hm?" Sirius turned back around, realizing he'd been staring. "Uh, no, I'm good..." he muttered, looking down as he rubbed in agitation at his bare arm. Which he was, full that is, for the first time since his arrival in the new world he'd fallen into somehow. They'd eaten some larger animal that had tasted almost like lamb chops, and there had been some fresh greens with a pleasant herb taste that had paired well with it. Potter and he had sat beside each other on the log Remus usually kept just for himself. Potter.

The guy wasn't that bad, he'd decided, and not just because he didn't make him sit in the fucking dirt like Remus liked to. Sirius had been decently—no, _really_ —cold with the guy all the way to the beach, and he'd just kept on the same pretty much: seemingly indifferent to Sirius's attitude, teasing, and obviously a decent enough person.

Sirius frowned to himself, because he hadn't realized it before, but he had hoped he was unlikable, tried to make him even so. He didn't know why exactly, if it was because he just didn't want to like any of Remus's men... or if it was because he didn't want to believe Remus could like any of them. No, it couldn't be that. Sirius didn't care what Remus thought when it came to Potter, he was his captor basically, he didn't even treat Sirius like—

"Hand me that bag, Black."

"Mm?" Sirius looked up to find Potter pointing vaguely at a small leather satchel by his foot. "Oh." The tall black-haired man leaned down and grabbed up the leather bag, tossing it to Potter's outstretched hand.

"I see you've finally figured out how to make that yourself, James," was said with an obvious smile. Potter merely grinned at that, and then Sirius felt a large person settle down beside him, which was an odd sensation considering his height. "Hello, Black, I'm Frank."

Sirius looked over hesitantly, and he had to crane his head back some to meet smiling blue eyes. The man—if he could be called that, because he was _enormous_ —had a short but very full beard that matched brown curly hair. His arms had to be the size of Sirius's legs, and he had fresh scabbing over cuts crisscrossing his bare torso.

"Sirius..." he offered instead, trying not to sound intimidated but failing mostly.

"I'll just stick with Black, thanks," the guy boomed, and Sirius cleared his throat and nodded faintly. Right.

Potter hummed. "I'd call him nothing if you want to keep your head," he muttered, and Sirius turned his attention back to the other guy with a frown. He was skimming some kind of slimy substance off the steaming liquid surface with a carved wooden spoon, then scooping it into the leather container.

"What's that for?" Sirius asked curiously. He couldn't help it. He'd purposely not asked the whole way to the ocean, while they'd collected it, or the way back, all because he'd gotten the impression Potter had really wanted him to. Now though, he suddenly wanted to know anyway.

He received a grin from the guy, and he swallowed around an odd lump in his throat but persisted. "Why'd we need to get it?"

"You had him help you?" The man named Frank asked, sounding suddenly disapproving for some reason and making Sirius feel more uneasy. "Remus wouldn't approve of that."

"Yeah, well Remus wanted me to watch him, so I had no choice," Potter responded, sounding bored. Then he met Sirius's agitated gaze. "You really want to know, Black?"

"James..."

Sirius nodded, clearing his throat again. "Yeah," he husked. The wild-haired guy stood up and walked around the fire, taking a seat on Sirius's other side.

"Give me your wrist, Sirius," he said privately, tone taunting again, his first name sounding oddly strange on the guy's tongue.

Sirius heard Frank sigh on his left, but he held out his hand upside down, offering the inside of his wrist. Then Potter dipped his index in the liquid he'd gathered and carefully touched his fingertip to his wrist. _Slick_. He rubbed gently against the sensitive skin, then more firmly, the slickness only more apparent—and Sirius felt his jaw slowly clenching.

"Imagine how good that'd feel—"

"That's _enough_ of that."

Sirius jumped, and so did Potter and Frank he'd like to think. Potter standing and grinning like he'd been caught doing something bad and was pleased with it, Frank looking like he wished he could take it all back... even though he'd done nothing as far as Sirius could tell. Remus was glaring at them all equally though.

"Sirius, come to the tent," the blond leader said in a quiet way that made the hairs on Sirius's neck stand.

The tall black-haired guy stood, and he left Remus's two men without another word, his chest inexplicably tense. He pushed aside the flap to Remus's tent and entered, ignoring the feeling of the blond's close presence behind him. He studied the bed they'd shared and waited.

"You should not talk to Potter." The words low and quiet, edged with an anger Sirius could feel. Then he reached out, grabbing Sirius's arm from behind when he didn't respond. "You are _mine_ , no one else's."

Sirius gave a slight shrug with his free arm, refusing to turn around. "Then maybe you should tell Potter that, he doesn't seem to care." He was pulled around then, and he gritted his teeth, looking down at the furious blond and feeling an answering rage building in his own chest that had been festering since the night before. "He touched _me_ , I didn't ask him to or want it. Aren't you supposed to handle things like that?"

"Would you like for me to kill my second in command, Sirius?" Remus snarled.

Sirius growled in frustration, because he didn't but when he asked him like that it was hard to say—" _No_ , but I don't want to be yelled at for what he did, Remus," he snapped back, "I did _nothing_ wrong out there."

Remus's grip tightened on Sirius's arm, and Sirius flexed his jaw to hide a grimace. "You offered him your arm. I _saw_ it."

Sirius slowly closed his eyes when the grip tightened further, his arm protesting loudly. "You're hurting me..." he said between clenched teeth. The hand loosened immediately, and Sirius drew in a slow breath as his entire arm tingled and throbbed as blood flowed into it once again.

"I'm sorry."

Sirius rubbed his hand up and down his aching arm and laughed dryly. "Are we done here?"

"No. I have something for you."

Sirius blinked slowly. What?

"It is why I was gone today. I wanted to get you something."

Sirius looked at the blond, hesitant, untrusting. "...What is it?" he asked.

Remus held out a familiar pocket knife. "Potter said you had a knife when they found you, so I went looking for it. I thought you'd want it back."

Sirius took it carefully, his mind scrambling to decide how he felt at that moment, because he was more than a little confused. "Oh, uh, thanks..." He cleared his throat as he placed the knife in his pocket, glad to have it back, and his eyes started to burn slightly for some reason.

The blond nodded with a curt dip of his chin. "Now you don't need to steal mine all the time."

Sirius felt himself grin at that even as his arm still throbbed. "It won't happen again," he said with another clearing of his throat, not able to hide his amusement.

Remus studied him for a long moment, his expression shifting between several emotions that Sirius couldn't, or maybe just refused, to place. "I meant what I said, you are _mine_ , Sirius. Don't forget that tonight."

Sirius took a step forward, and he felt a chill run up his spine as he squared off against the intimidating leader. "In my world, both people have to be loyal."

Hazel eyes narrowed, and Remus shifted closer then too, his scarred chest almost touching Sirius's. "But you are in _my_ world now, Sirius, whether you like it or not."

Sirius said nothing, his grey eyes narrowed back.

* * *

The suns were rising, the air was thin and sharp from the cold night that had passed over, but the earth beneath was warm still. Sirius idly wondered if it ever actually lost all of its heat, if two suns kept it perpetually warm. He hadn't really noticed its temperature before, wearing shoes and sleeping on Lupin's bed. The bed that the man currently shared with Potter.

Sirius exhaled slowly as he lay on the ground, a thin layer of fern leaves the only thing separating him from it. He hadn't slept well... but neither had Remus and Potter, for different reasons, of course.

He'd known he was too close to the tent when he'd first chosen the spot, but the blond leader had told him to stay close, that his most faithful would be there. So he'd picked a spot not more than a few feet away, and he didn't know how he felt about it now.

A hand touched firmly to his shoulder. "Time to get up, Black," was said in a now familiar voice. Frank Longbottom, who'd slept close beside him—Sirius couldn't help but think on Remus's orders.

He'd noticed something odd about the guy too; his speech sounded much more advanced than say Potter's or the other men. It reminded him more of his, and Remus's at times. He'd decided in the night, while trying not to focus on the sounds coming from the tent, that he'd befriend Frank. He was nice, nicer than he'd expected from his intimidating stature, and he hoped he'd help him figure out how he could fit in this new world. Because Sirius was coming to a realization...

He didn't need Remus, or his claims on him that were decidedly one-sided. He could fuck himself for all Sirius cared. He was going to tell him that too, as soon as they were alone. He'd sleep on the ground outside every night before he let the blond leader treat him like an object that he could toss out at his discretion. He was Sirius Black god damnit.

Sirius sat up at that thought, and then he stood up beside Frank, glancing around the group discreetly. The one named Greyback was unfortunately still alive and watching him. He diverted his gaze. "So, should we go hunt for breakfast?" he asked casually.

"I should, but you don't hunt, Black," Frank said in his low rolling voice.

Sirius looked up at the guy, who was at least six inches taller. Fuck, he was big though. "Says who?"

The bearded man shifted uncomfortably, and Sirius waited. "You shouldn't try to upset him..."

Sirius exhaled impatiently, and he leaned closer to the giant of a man. "And what if I'm not? What if I just want to earn my own keep, what if I _just need_ to feel useful so I don't go fucking crazy, Frank?"

The burly man said nothing, and Sirius slowly felt the hope that had filled his chest begin to deflate, but then Frank gave a reluctant nod. "Okay, Black, but if Remus—"

Sirius wanted to say ' _fuck_ Remus' but quickly decided on, "He blames me for everything, you've got nothing to worry about with him, I swear."

Frank sighed through his nostrils, the sound decidedly unhappy. "Ask him, if he says yes, we'll go."

Sirius grinned, excitement surging through his muscles. "All _right_ ," he said enthusiastically. He wasn't worried about Remus saying no.

* * *

"No. _Absolutely_ not."

Sirius stared at the ground, his jaw set, eyes steely, and breath stuck in his lungs. "And why's that...?" he asked, tightly. He fought the urge to just leave the tent, because without the blond asshole's permission he wasn't going anywhere... at least not with Frank. _Fuck_ —

"Sirius, look at me."

Grey eyes continued to focus on the ground inside the tent. He refused to—

Remus reached out, and pushed Sirius's chin up easily. Sirius felt an angry heat rush into his chest as he met hazel eyes for the first time since he'd had to listen to him and Potter together. "You can't tell me what to do, Remus," he gritted out.

"I can," Remus said back firmly, and when Sirius started to jerk away he grabbed his wrist, but carefully. "You will listen to me, and I say—no hunting."

Sirius felt his lips begin to twitch spasmodically. "Fuck you." The words had just escaped him, and grey eyes widened as he instantly realized his mistake.

"What?" Remus's grip tightened, his expression darkening. The leanly muscular blond shifted closer in the small tent, his voice quiet, strained. "What did you say to me...?"

Sirius wet his lower lip, and he scrunched one side of his face up as he tried to think of the appropriate answer. "I said... fuck you."

He let out a desperate sounding laugh. He hadn't been lying to Frank, he really wasn't doing well. He hadn't realized it until that very moment though, Remus holding him in place like he had no say over anything. And he suddenly didn't care what the outcome would be. "Fuck _you_ , Remus," he said with more conviction, and his lungs grew uncomfortably tight. "I'm not yours, no matter what you say. In fact, right _now_ , I'd let Frank fuck me before I ever let you touch me again."

Remus's expression had shifted to one of barely contained rage, and Sirius blinked a few times in rapid succession, his body tensing in preparation for what he didn't know. But he was ready.

"Then you're his."

Sirius blinked again. "What." He swallowed roughly, and he hoped he'd misheard.

"If that's what you want," Remus said coolly. Releasing him and turning away, he began to undress. Sirius merely stood there and watched, in shock. He didn't actually want Frank. The guy was huge; he wasn't his type at all.

"What if I don't want him either?"

Remus paused, not turning around, his pants undone, hanging on his hips still. "Then whoever wants you and can overpower you will have you."

Sirius grimaced. "Remus, listen..."

The blond stepped out of his pants, and Sirius looked away so he wasn't staring. "What is it, Black?"

Sirius rolled his eyes in agitation. He focused on the bed as Remus proceeded to clean himself off with a piece of hide and some water. He just wanted to go back home, to his world. He didn't want to deal with feeling useless and like he was at someone else's whims. He rubbed roughly at a developing beard, holding in his thoughts, because it wouldn't help to complain over things that couldn't change. "Nothing. I'll go." He started for the door—

"Wait, Sirius."

Sirius stood, his hand on the exit. He looked over his shoulder, keeping his gaze up.

"I've upset you?" Remus was looking at him, his hazel eyes clouded over with confusion and shoulders squared unhappily.

Sirius nodded slightly. "Yeah..."

Remus ran a hand up into his short blond hair with a sigh. "How do I fix it?"

Sirius hid his surprise, but he took a step back from the door, and he said hesitantly, his low voice quiet, "Do you want to?"

Remus just stared at him, hazel eyes intense, and Sirius felt a shiver crawl down his spine. "If I have to earn your affection, I will."

Sirius cleared his throat gently, and he felt an odd tickling inside his chest. "Well... for a start?"

Remus gave a slight nod.

Sirius exhaled heavily. "Let me go hunting this morning."

The blond leader stood quietly, like he didn't even notice he was undressed as he thought, and Sirius couldn't help but notice the guy's exceptionally tone muscles, and a certain body part... _shit_. Sirius did want him, maybe more than he was willing to admit.

"Okay."

Sirius looked up with a jerk of his head. " _Really_?" he asked, smiling in disbelief.

Remus gave a small smile back, the action not seeming wholly intentional. "Yes, but on one condition."

Sirius nodded quickly, agreeing immediately no matter the stipulation. He was just excited to have some freedom and do something himself. "What is it?"

Remus tilted his head slightly. "You go with me."


	7. Dangerous

**Dangerous**

* * *

"What are we hunting?" Sirius asked as he glanced up at tall trees, blue sky peeking through the towering canopy every few steps.

"Fish."

Sirius frowned, his attention shifting back down. " _Fish_?" he asked, relieved but suspicious too. "You mean, fish—like, normal fish? Or do you mean scary fish that could eat my entire leg in one bite?"

"I mean fish, Sirius," Remus said shortly, and Sirius scowled at his back. Remus had been unpleasant ever since they'd left camp together, and the tall black-haired guy was starting to get tired of it. He watched Remus stop for a second, turn his head to the right, blink once... then again. Then he simply began walking again.

Sirius looked over at the patch of nondescript trees that had caught the guy's attention for whatever reason.

"Keep up."

Sirius started walking again. "What'd you hear...?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Nothing. Try not to talk so much."

Grey eyes narrowed, but Sirius followed more quietly, trying to listen for noises in the woods in his silence. He wasn't sure what sounds in specific would be concerning, but maybe it was one of those things you just knew when it happened.

Remus stopped again. He crouched down quickly and placed an open hand to the ground. "There is something trailing us, stay close."

Sirius glanced over his shoulder, nothing out of the ordinary. He nodded tensely. "Should I be concerned?"

"If you value your life," was Remus's curt response. Then he stood abruptly and continued through the forest. "Your scent draws a lot of attention."

Sirius blinked at that. "Ah," he said, not sure how else to respond. He dipped his chin and gave his bare shoulder an experimental sniff. "Yours doesn't?" he asked with a frown.

"No."

Sirius exhaled heavily through his nostrils but didn't say anything. He was starting to wish he'd just stayed at camp, because the deeper they got in the woods, the more he realized what a stupid idea he'd had. He didn't know how to hunt, and Remus didn't seem like the best teacher. Not to mention all he had was his pocket knife. He glanced at Remus again. "Where's your weapon—"

Remus stopped him cold with a hand in the air. The blond said nothing, just continued on, and Sirius felt torn between a deep anxiety and a growing agitation. He clenched his jaw when he felt the urge to ask him why they were being so quiet. Then he heard a concerning rustling.

Remus froze, and Sirius did the same. The blond turned carefully to face him, and he shook his head over so subtly. Sirius didn't know what that meant so he just grimaced and didn't move. Shit. "I'm going to throw you up to that limb, grab it and don't fall," Remus said, flicking his eyes over to said limb without moving his head.

Sirius looked up at the thick branch at least ten feet out of reach. "Okay," he croaked, the word barely out of his mouth when Remus reached out, grabbed him, and Sirius felt himself flying through the air. He grunted a split-second later as he grabbed onto the branch, which wasn't hard because Remus had thrown him _right_ at it, his chest hitting it squarely. It had been painful though. He struggled to breathe as he shifted to lie completely on top of it, the width of the branch almost half the length of his torso. Then he swore softly as he looked down.

Remus was standing with his hands up in the air, reminding Sirius of someone when they were showing they didn't want to fight. Except... there wasn't a human down there with him, it was an enraged raptor. The dinosaur screamed angrily, but didn't charge the blond leader. Keeping its distance it shifted bird-like eyes up at Sirius and screamed again, the sound more shrill.

And then things got strange.

Remus growled in response, and the dinosaur took a step back, the talons on its lethal clawed feet flexing. It looked up at Sirius again, its head cocking slowly to one side like it was thinking about something, and Sirius didn't know if he was more worried for himself or Remus at that moment. In a sudden flash of movement the dinosaur charged towards the trunk of Sirius's tree, and Remus lunged at the deadly creature.

* * *

Sirius exhaled unsteadily, his legs trembling beneath him as they threatened to give out. He didn't remember climbing down. He looked up. The trees around him were spinning, no, maybe that was his head. "Shit. Shit. _Shit_..."

"Sirius, are you—"

"Holy _fucking_ shit, Remus?" Sirius half-shouted, half-laughed, confused and wiping at the blood spatter covering one side of his face with his bare forearm and only making it so much worse. He would have never guessed blood could shoot that far. "How did you _do_ that?"

Remus sighed, blood covering his chin and neck, but it was nothing compared to the forming puddle of crimson liquid at his and Sirius's feet. The raptor that was a lot like the one that had tried to hunt Sirius before, maybe a few feet smaller, had a chunk of its throat missing. Remus had stopped it just in time. Sirius felt his lungs begin to quiver.

"We should go, this will attract other predators."

 _Other_? Sirius choked on what might have been another laugh. He just stared at Remus in total disbelief. "Is this how you _usually_ hunt when I'm not around?" he asked, motioning wildly at the dead creature. "Is this why you didn't want me to go out today?" His voice was rising in pitch. " _Huh_ , Remus?"

"We _need_ to move on now," Remus said more firmly, and then, "I can carry you if needed."

Sirius let his head fall back and blinked hard, holding his eyes closed for a long moment. It was his head. His _head_ was spinning. He could still see it, a clip of Remus biting a raptor in the throat and dropping him burned into his mind forever he was sure. " _Shit, Remus_..."

Remus leaned forward without another word, and he tossed him up over his shoulder. Sirius grunted passively in discomfort as he watched the forest begin to move around him quickly, Remus carrying him over his shoulder like he was a child. "Holy shit..." was the only thing he managed to mutter. Did Frank hunt like that _too_? Is that why he'd been unsure? Did he have any recollection at all of Remus's men carrying weapons in his time around them? Sirius tried to picture the other men doing what Remus had... and he found, it wasn't that hard... "Oh, _fuck_ me."

"Try not to think about it," was Remus's oddly calm reply, and Sirius found himself laughing at it. Maybe he'd actually go crazy in this world. Fuck, his mom had in theirs, and it had been pretty straightforward there, and that was with doctors and medicine and all the money his father could throw at them to just keep _trying_. This though, hunting like an animal, the growling, and the blood... oh god, there was so _much_ blood in Remus's mouth; Remus, who could touch him _so_ carefully at times and murder his own men at other times—

"Sirius... do you hear me?" Sirius didn't respond, too distracted by his own rambling mind. Remus cursed and sped up.

Some time later, Sirius didn't know how much or care, he was dropped onto soft ground. He swallowed thickly. Sand. He was sitting in sand. He scrunched his fingers, burying his nails in the cold gritty stuff. There was something wet rubbing roughly at his face and neck.

"Sirius, focus on me."

Sirius slowly opened grey eyes, and he closed them back immediately. _Remus_. Remus was a—

"Sirius, I've given up a lot for you. I need you to be strong right now."

Sirius began to laugh, the sound suspiciously unstable to his own ears. " _What_ exactly have you given up for me?" he asked sharply. The rubbing on his face started up again, and Sirius gathered enough mental clarity to realize the blond was cleaning blood off of him. "Hm?" he pushed stubbornly.

"For one?" Remus husked, and Sirius waited somewhat curious through his mini breakdown. " _James_."

Sirius felt his jaw clench tightly, grey eyes narrowing, and Remus began to rub at his skin again more roughly like he was planning to scrub the skin raw if he needed to get him clean of the blood splatter.

"I told him what we had is over." Remus leaned in closer then, Sirius could tell because his breath was tickling his jaw. "Even when he threatened to leave with _half_ of my men." He sounded _angry_. " _That's_ how much I want you, Sirius Black. Can't you feel it?"

Sirius swallowed around a forming knot in his throat. He felt his breaths begin to slow, and he felt his thoughts begin to slow too... which was honestly painful, because it meant dealing with what he'd seen. "Why me?" he managed to ask.

There were fingertips, only fingertips on the side of his face, a breeze snuck around them cold on his damp skin. He clenched his jaw and leaned into the comforting touch, despite the turmoil in his chest.

"You know why," was whispered against his chin. Sirius gave a slight shake of his head. And then he felt more than heard, "Because you're the most _beautiful_ thing I have known."

Sirius breathed a small laugh, unsure how he felt about that. Lips pressed gently against his, and he felt a silent rumbling in his chest. Then teeth bit roughly at his lower lip, and he grunted softly.

"You don't belong here, Sirius. We both know that, but _until_ someone from your world figures out how to get you back, you will be mine," Remus husked, his voice suddenly gentle. "That, or I step back and let my men work it out. Tell me what you want. I won't ask again."

Sirius found himself leaning in towards the blond, fighting to ignore the anger he felt at the perceived threat. It was the truth though, what he said, those were his choices. _Fuck_. He went with the one he hoped he'd regret the least—"You. I want you, Remus."

Lips met his again more forcefully, and Sirius reached out blindly, grasping the side of Remus's neck as they kissed, really kissed for the first time. His lips felt firm but pliable under his, and he tasted like something Sirius knew. He parted his lips, Sirius doing the same in response, and he pushed his tongue inside the blond's mouth curiously. Tasting. It was almost like chocolate.

Remus hummed, the sound low like a growl, his tongue moving against his and into his mouth, exploring purposefully. Sirius sitting with Remus crouched down in front of him, kissing him. Because Sirius was _letting_ Remus kiss him and after he'd just killed a dinosaur with only his teeth... he felt his breathing begin to speed up again.

"Calm yourself," Remus pulled back slightly to say. Sirius nodded jerkily. He noticed the blond had cleaned his face of all the blood, which helped some.

"You're not human, are you?" he asked finally.

Hazel eyes didn't blink. "No, I am not."

Sirius gave a slight nod. "Okay... good to know," he said, hoarse, holding in a desperate laugh. "And what are you exactly...?"

Remus leaned back to rest his weight on the balls of his feet, still crouched down in front of Sirius. He looked unhappy. "I'm the most dangerous thing in this world."

Sirius nodded again, more subtly. Right. He'd known that... pretty much, at least. It was fine. "...And I'm safe with you?" He grimaced slightly, his gaze drifting as his thoughts did the same.

"Look at me, Sirius." Remus reached out.

Sirius started to fight against the hand on his jaw instinctively, but then he caught himself with a pained breath and let his head be turned for his gaze to meet intense hazel orbs too close up. "Ah, Remus... fancy seeing you here..." he said, his voice too breathy.

Remus almost smiled at that but then his expression grew serious, more serious than Sirius could ever hope to manage himself. He supposed, killing animals with your bare teeth and murdering hoards of your own men added a level of solemnity to your visage though. "I mean you no harm."

He didn't respond to the quietly spoken words.

"Where are you right now, Sirius...?"

Sirius closed burning eyes, and he said nothing. He wasn't sure if Remus meant mentally or literally. The answer was the same for both though. So he tried to change the subject for his own sanity. He focused on the soothing crashing sound of waves against the shore. He could almost fool himself into thinking he was back in his world, on vacation. Enjoying himself. "The ocean, is it safe?"

Remus didn't respond right away. "No. It is not," he said, almost sounding like he'd wanted to lie to him.

Sirius nodded gingerly at that. "Mm." He swallowed, his throat dry and catching somewhat. "That's too bad. I always liked swimming in the sea."

"You are unhappy here."

Sirius clenched his jaw when his eyes burned more, the simple statement somehow drawing the unpleasant emotions out that he wanted to just bury. He tried to force a smile but only managed what felt like a grimace.

"I am sorry, Sirius."

Sirius opened his eyes slowly at the unexpected sympathy, and he looked into quiet hazel eyes. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel some kind of connection with the blond leader. He didn't know why, but it was there. Buzzing in the air between them at all times, warming it, making their touches feel like jolts of electricity. He shifted forward carefully, his gaze drifting down slowly to the leader's lips. Maybe there was one thing in this world he could still enjoy... and maybe that was why Remus was willing to do so much for it; it was all he had too.

Remus offered out a hand. "Come. I will take you in the ocean."

Sirius hesitated. But then he placed his hand in the outstretched one, and it closed around it firmly.


	8. Foreplay

**Foreplay**

* * *

The ocean water was disturbingly warm, like the molten core of the planet was not as far beneath Sirius's feet as it was on his world. Feet treaded gently to keep him afloat in the waters—how deep was anyone's guess—and the unknown depth beneath him was enough to have Sirius's heart thumping hard inside his chest.

Gentle fingertips remained steady on his waist as he treaded, his back to the shore, his jaw turned up toward the sky, water droplets clinging to the short beard shadowing his fair complexion.

"Do they keep us safe?" Sirius asked, following Remus's watchful gaze to the now familiar colorful fins poking out of the water just a short distance away. He'd seen the creatures—maybe fish, or lizards, who bore an odd resemblance to dolphins—poking their noses just barely out of the water to watch the two of them. Remus had kept them close.

"They will let us know when a predator is approaching, yes. Have you ever ridden on an Ichthyosaur?" Remus asked casually, letting Sirius tread alone in the water for the first time as he shifted closer to the pod. "Or, more accurately, swam along them."

Sirius breathed a laugh, and Remus looked over at him with a furrowed brow expression. Seawater dripping off of the blond bangs in his face, his hazel eyes below, usually a subtle mixture of green and blue and gold, appearing almost purely a vibrant green somehow in the ocean air.

"Oh, ah, no," Sirius said hesitantly, almost losing his train of thought as he met Remus's gaze, "I haven't. What are they, exactly...?"

"Ichthyosaurs," Remus responded blankly. "They don't exist in your world, I take it?" he asked, sounding a mixture of disturbed and awed by the concept. His tone changed with more ease when it was just the two of them. Sirius couldn't help but think he held a lot back around his men and probably for good reason. He had the feeling that anything other than confidence and aggression from the leader would be met with violence from a lot of his followers.

Sirius shrugged and started swimming toward the animals. "Nope, what are we waiting for?" he said, ignoring the way his own heart jumped when one of the dinosaurs poked its nose out of the water only a foot away from him, its large blue eyes reflecting Sirius's face in them as it seemed to ponder him—seeming as equally fascinated as the man was.

"Grab on, they will take us to the fish," Remus called. Sirius looked over to see Remus's hand closed around the large dorsal fin on one of the largest of the pod. The animal made a high-pitched squealing sound, one that the green dolphin-like dinosaur in front of Sirius mimicked. The shrill noise made him clench his jaw, and then, before he could second guess himself, he reached out a hand and closed his fingers gently around the animal's dorsal fin.

"Hold your breath."

Sirius sucked in a breath, filling his lungs barely in time, as the pod of dinosaurs dove deep into the ocean with sudden speed, no warning included.

* * *

A greenish blue fire crackled, the smell of cooking fish filled the briny air. Sirius was seated on a log... beside Remus. It was just the two of them, still at the beach, the suns more than halfway across the deep blue sky.

After the ride on the dinosaurs, which had to have been one of the most unexpected but amazing experiences in Sirius's life, they had swam some in the shallow waters where the animals had dropped them off. Remus had then gone out even further and caught them fish to actually eat, with just his hands and ridiculously quick reflexes, while Sirius'd waited in the relative safety of the shallow waters, thinking. Under the clear ocean waters that had a lower salt content than those from his world, he had been able to keep his eyes open almost painlessly and watch the beautiful dinosaurs as they'd danced and flown effortlessly through and around schools of giant fish.

When Remus returned with two fish, Sirius had stood and watched, thoroughly impressed, as he'd started their current fire within _seconds_ by just striking a rock against what looked like a piece of metal from his pocket, with only some dry moss for kindling.

"They are ready."

Sirius gave a subtle nod, the tops of his broad shoulders warm and beginning to itch as he sat directly under twice the UV rays he was used to. He didn't usually burn, but he didn't usually tan that great either. He liked the beach, but he needed some tree coverage soon, or he'd regret it by nightfall. They'd been gone for a surprisingly long time for just hunting. Remus's men usually returned within hours, in fact, everyone stayed relatively close to camp as far as Sirius could tell. Not to mention they brought back their killings to share, though, Remus was the leader he guessed. Maybe he didn't share his food. He didn't usually share his seat, that was for sure, even if he was for some reason at that moment with just the two of—

"Here."

He took the offered fish before him that was larger than his hand and wrapped in a leaf for cooking. "Won't everyone worry about us? If we don't get back soon?" he asked in an idle way as he peeled back one side of the leaf, a savory steam escaping. He carefully pulled off a piece of the hot meat and tossed it in his mouth as he waited patiently for a response.

"No, I told James we would be gone for a few days."

Sirius stopped, his hand halfway to his mouth with another bite of the white meat. He dropped it back down when it began to burn his fingers, frowning as he thought back. He did remember Remus talking to Potter before they left camp that morning, and he also remembered Remus's second in command looking displeased, at him. Was it because Remus'd told him they would be away for several days, or was that when he had told him—"A few days, why?"

Remus was eating, not slow like Sirius, more like he could eat hot lava and enjoy it thoroughly. "It is custom," he said, without looking up.

Sirius took a bite and chewed slowly, then he slowed even more. Custom...? He had an idea what Remus meant, but he really hoped he was wrong.

"Our first mating should be done alone."

Sirius's grey eyes widened, pitch dark brows lifting, and he struggled to not choke on his bite of food.

"We must mate before returning. It is—"

"Custom?" Sirius interjected hoarsely. Remus nodded. Sirius managed to swallow, but his throat didn't seem interested in cooperating.

"Yes."

Sirius forced himself to continue eating. He sucked on his thumb, cleaning it of drippings as he worked to keep his thoughts steady. "It's not exactly the best way to drop this on me..."

"Perhaps not, but it is true."

Sirius hummed quietly at that. He forced himself to eat some more, not throwing a million questions at the quiet blond by his side. Like—was that the reason he was suddenly letting him sit beside him instead of in the fucking dirt? And was that why he was being almost nice to him? Did he think he needed to be before they fucked? Did he think they were going to do that at nightfall, _just_ because he'd been civil a whole few hours? And most importantly, did Sirius get _any_ say in it at all, or did Remus just think this was all his decision? Did Remus even—

"What is on your mind, Sirius Black?"

" _Hm_?" Sirius looked up, his grey eyes wide, and he realized his breathing was too quick. He made an effort to slow his breaths as he blinked a few times, his heart thumping in his throat. Then he took a bite of fish, which had cooled at some point and chewed slowly, stalling. He sighed with resignation when the abnormally strong leader only waited patiently in response like he was fine with no answer; he asked the most pressing question. "Is that why you're being nice to me now?"

Remus set his food aside before answering, "I have always been kind to you."

Sirius hummed uncertainly, and to his surprise he heard an amused breath from the blond. He looked over in shock. "Did you just laugh?"

Remus stared back at him with a steady gaze. His lips twitched almost imperceptibly. "No."

Sirius felt himself break into a curious grin, not sure what to think, and he shifted unconsciously closer. "Yeah, I think you did..." he said, his voice lowering as he studied him for any signs of a pulse. "It's just me and you, Remus. You don't have to be so tough, you've got me beat by a _mile_."

And Remus actually grinned ever so faintly at that—the expression wry—Sirius noting just how handsome he was with a smile before his expression and green eyes grew closed off once more. "You should eat, you will need the energy tonight."

Sirius ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he nodded slowly, his body working ahead of his mind as his spine stiffened. "So, tonight, then?" He cleared his throat.

Remus studied him for a long moment before answering curtly. "Yes, I've given you time."

Sirius coughed a laugh. " _Yeah_? A couple days your limit then?"

Remus shifted some closer until his knee was almost grazing Sirius's, his eyes darkening. "I want you _now_. I will wait until night."

Sirius swallowed gently when he felt fingertips on his exposed side. He exhaled unsteadily when they began to ghost lightly along his skin in an idle way that didn't match the forceful words. It was happening, it was happening whether he was ready or not. He needed to prep some for it. "What about foreplay?"

"Foreplay...?" Blond brows furrowed, and stoic green eyes scrutinized him closely.

Sirius nodded just barely as fingers toyed distractedly with the waist of his pants. He wanted Remus to touch him he found. "Yeah, we should get off together first." Sirius cleared his throat silently. " _Now_. We should now, it'll help with tonight."


	9. Lies

**A/N:** just a quick add-on to last chapter, because I didn't want to leave you guys hanging too long, haha. I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

 **Lies**

* * *

Sirius watched the blond leader consider the proposition with some hesitance, and when fingers stopped playing with the material of his pants he guided them down to rest directly over his zipper. He cupped his own hand over Remus's firmly and gave himself a nice squeeze through his pants, groaning softly at the sensation. He was actually pretty horny. He didn't usually go more than a day without at least getting himself off. He looked into intense hazel eyes and said roughly, his pulse spiking, "Touch me, Remus... I want you to."

A mouth covered his before he could blink, a hand grasping him by the back of his neck firmly, holding him close. And Sirius let his hand fall away as Remus's began to rub over his zipper with purpose, causing friction to quickly heat up his lower body and a groan to slip hoarsely from his parted lips. " _Remus_..."

"You should not initiate things such as this," was Remus's low response, the commanding words tickling Sirius's ear.

And Sirius felt himself laugh breathily in response, then he gasped when the hand over his hard body part squeezed. " _Shit_ ," he muttered, lips and sharp teeth on the side of his neck, and he was inching forward despite Remus's warning and kinda climbing onto the blond's lap awkwardly to try to get him to undo his pants already.

"I'm so _fuckin_ ' horny for you right now," Sirius husked around heaving lungs, his legs that had straddled the log beneath them now draped over Remus's legs too, their lower bodies only separated by a few frustrating inches of air. He was usually not on the receiving end when it came to this type of thing, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about having Remus inside of him. He reached out and ran his hand up the strong blond's chest, tracing scarily wide scars that somehow made his body heat up even more.

Stoic hazel green eyes met his wired gaze, and Sirius wet dry lips anxiously. "You are rather pushy for your position..." Remus said, and he effortlessly pulled Sirius forward the space needed for their bodies to make contact, taking it a step further as he settled him down carefully overtop his lap. He looked up at the raven-haired man. "Have you done this before, Sirius?" His voice smooth.

Sirius held back a grimace. _Shit_. That's right, he'd forgotten he'd lied to Remus about that. He'd said he was innocent, which was laughable really if it wasn't so terrifying at that moment. He couldn't hold back the tension in his face anymore, the right side of his face pinching up, as he shook his head ever so slightly.

Remus said nothing to that, but Sirius felt the button to his pants undone and then the zipper pulled down. Then he felt a cool hand slipping inside, and he closed his eyes as he groaned. Strong fingers one-by-one encased his throbbing dick, and his hips jerked forward instinctually when they began to slide over him firmly. " _Shit_... shit, yeah, I'm—ah, sorry for lying about that," he struggled to apologize.

"Do you lie to me often, Sirius?" was whispered, ever so softly, against his throat, and then teeth scraped along his adam's apple, causing a shiver to race down Sirius's spine. "Tell me now."

Sirius bit down hard on his lower lip, holding in more curses as Remus continued to stroke him without missing a beat, and he was getting embarrassingly close despite his heart tapping out an irregular beat like it knew they might be its last.

He tried to flinch away from sharp teeth when his neck began to sting, but the hand at the nape of his neck held him in place. "No," he finally said, honest, his voice husky but nervous at the same time, and then the hand around him began to pump harder, and he barely managed to groan, "just—just that."

"Do not finish." Remus sped up more then, and Sirius groaned softly as his eyes lost focus. "Do you _understand_?"

Sirius shook his head but then teeth grasped him by the throat and held him tightly, his own hands grabbing at Remus's torso blindly in panic as his climax refused to slow its approach. Okay, maybe he did understand, but he _really_ wished he didn't. " _Fuck... okay_ , okay." He tried to focus on sharp teeth, and how they'd sliced through a dinosaur that morning with ease, but it only made his problem worse somehow... " _Fu-uck_."

The hand around him began to slow just when he thought he couldn't hold back anymore, and he groaned—half in relief and half in pained frustration—lightheaded and lungs working too hard, his heart slamming furiously against his chest. He didn't notice teeth slipping off his throat until he was removed from Remus's lap.

The blond stood up, his expression one of quiet rage as he looked down at the panting man. "Now, Sirius Black, you will wait for me." Sirius blinked slowly, something sinking in his chest.


	10. Fear

A/N: hey fellas, sorry it's been so long. Your reviews were incredibly inspiring, but our characters were not happy with the last chapter so we got stuck. Like really stuck. Hah. This is an attempt to unstick this story. We hope you enjoy! Please let us know!

* * *

 **Fear**

* * *

Remus rested his head back against the base of the tree he was hiding in the branches of. His feet were dangling off the thick branch, and he remained still as a single drop of sweat trailed its way across his forehead and around his skull until it reached the nape of his neck.

He exhaled.

There was a part of him that was not surprised at all by the discovery. The rest of him, though, was frustrated, disappointed... hurt.

He had trusted the human. Protected him. _Fought_ for him. In some ways, he had thought with how obvious all this was, that the loyalty would be returned in some small way; surely honesty was a small gesture in return, right? Common decency even. Did that exist where Sirius was from?

"Remus?" The loud human could be heard trampling and stumbling through the undergrowth before he yelled, startling the peaceful parasaurolophus herd Remus had been stalking for an hour.

He hissed under his breath as one of the large dinosaurs raised its head, cried a warning to its herdmates a few yards further away and took off.

Sirius seemed startled by the sudden thunder of dinosaur feet only twenty feet away from him.

Without thinking, Remus reflexively dropped from the tree to land behind Sirius. Wrapping an arm around the raven-haired guy all the while ignoring whatever inane complaints he was uttering, he spun him around and tossed him over one shoulder and, with a little difficulty, carried him up the tree to the branch he had been on and then settled onto the one directly beside it that wasn't quite as sturdy.

"You scared away our ride home," Remus accused him in a near monotone, pointing to the parasaur herd that was taking off over a visible hilly plain a distance away. "And all your struggling almost made me drop you. Were you trying to call all of the raptors on this side of the island to you?"

" _Ride_?" Sirius gaped at the insane thought... and then he realized something else possibly more alarming. "Wait, what? Why are we going back to camp already?"

The sandy blond didn't look at him as he said, "Because there is no reason to stay away anymore."

Sirius blinked rapidly as he processed the meaning behind the words. His dark brows furrowed slightly as he fought a frown. "So just like that, huh?"

Remus said nothing, only stared at where the herd had once been, his jaw clenching the only sign he'd heard Sirius.

Sirius let out a breathy laugh. "Well, fuck, Remus, I'd have told you sooner if I'd known how much of a turn off it was for you."

Remus turned his head slowly. "Do you _mock_ me?" he asked tersely.

Sirius laughed sharply at that, and somewhere in his mind he knew it was a terrible idea. But fuck it. He tilted his chin back with raised brows, his gaze aloof. "I'd never dream of it."

He watched as hazel green eyes sharpened and then narrowed angrily, and the raven-haired guy felt a jolt of excitement speed up his breaths. He was starting to get used to Remus's temper, and he wasn't going to lie—he kind of liked it. He seemed very aware of his and Sirius's difference in strength and didn't seem to want to hurt him at all. Not to mention, Sirius had always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Though, since he wasn't absolutely sure if those benevolent feelings would remain, he'd be smart to play it careful.

"Listen, Remus..." he started up, his low voice more hesitant than usual, and he noticed the sandy blond's shoulders soften somewhat at the tone, so he continued slowly, "I'm sorry... okay? I didn't plan to lie, it just happened. I panicked." Which was completely true. He cocked his head then, letting his long black bangs fall into his eyes, and he parted his lips ever so slightly. Green eyes trailed down to study them, and he worked hard to not let them curl up. "To be fair, you _were_ covered in someone's blood at the time..." he hedged.

Remus's eyes flashed without warning. He leaned towards Sirius, who kept his position, but then his eyes widened somewhat, giving him away. "For _you_ ," he growled lowly, gritting his back teeth together and resting a hand on the raven-haired guy's branch as he leaned in closer to him, "I did that for _you_ , Sirius, do not be mistaken. I was protecting you." He paused, his anger only growing. "And then you _lied_ to me."

Sirius nodded gingerly, his excitement bordering all out panic as the unreasonably strong blond glared darkly at him up close, but he held it back, responding breathily, his voice rough. "You're right, and that's why I'm apologizing now. I was wrong." He waited.

Remus stared at him for a long moment, and Sirius was sure the guy was considering breaking his branch in two just to see if he'd survive the fall—which Sirius was 100% sure he wouldn't—but then something in his expression shifted, and he sighed and sat back on his own branch. "All right."

Sirius blinked, feeling a little lightheaded with relief. He cleared his throat, a lump in it fighting back valiantly. "All right... what?" he asked, a grimace punctuating the last word.

Remus tilted his chin back, resting the crown of his head against the trunk of the tree. He looked tired. Or maybe tired was an understatement. He looked prematurely aged, in a way that made the few grey sprinkling his hair lighter and the many scars peeking from underneath his clothes darker. "I accept your apology."

Despite the weight in the air, Sirius found himself wanting to grin, and he wet his lips discreetly. "So we'll stay here a couple days still...?"

Green eyes flicked over at that, studying him with obvious skepticism. "You do not like it at the camp?"

Sirius turned his gaze down and gave a slight shrug. Hated was more accurate. He _hated_ it there; he didn't trust most of the men there, and he loathed how Remus treated him there, how he acted around his men. Because, if there was one thing Sirius was growing more and more certain of it was that Remus Lupin was not the man he wanted everyone to believe he was. "Or maybe I just like it here with you more..."

Remus huffed a sharp breath. "Only because you don't fear me."

Sirius looked up in surprise. "Is that what you think?" The sandy blond leader raised one brow as answer, and Sirius smiled in disbelief, a breath of shock escaping his lips. "Remus, did you forget what I just told you? I said I was a _virgin_ you terrified me so much. You're definitely the baddest motherfucker out there."

And Remus grinned wryly, surprising Sirius even more. "You have a way with words, Sirius Black," he said, his smooth, rich voice not unfriendly.

Sirius grinned back at him impishly as his heart thumped harder inside his chest. And for a moment he forgot he was in a prehistoric, paleolithic world where everything and anything wanted to have him for a snack. As he stared into vibrant green eyes under a soft blond fringe that beckoned him ever closer, he just felt like a guy who'd found something he'd been looking for for quite some time.

He leaned over carefully, stopping just shy of tempting lips, and whispered roughly, "Can I kiss you?"

Remus didn't hesitate. He just met Sirius's mouth with his own to answer.


	11. Don't Worry, You Will

A/N: Hey guys! ^_^ Chapter title is after the song by lovelytheband, haha, ah... poor Remus...

* * *

 **Don't Worry, You Will**

* * *

"You... really need a shave, Sirius Black..."

"Do you usually talk to yourself?"

Sirius sighed through his nostrils. He was crouched down, peering at his reflection in a puddle that had formed in what looked like a gigantic footprint.

Light grey eyes stared back up at him unhappily from under disheveled black hair, and unwanted facial hair that hid his model like jaw stubbornly continued to thicken. He would admit he wasn't used to seeing himself looking so rugged. He'd always worked hard to keep his appearance just so. So much in fact his younger brother, Regulus, had gotten him a spa package his last birthday as a joke. Sirius had enjoyed it thoroughly much to his brother's surprise. He'd gotten a pedicure, a facial and massage, and something called a seaweed wrap.

"Not going to get any seaweed wraps around here," Sirius mumbled under his breath.

"What do you want to wrap in seaweed?" Remus sounded thoroughly confused. "Are you hurt?"

Sirius heard the blond shift impatiently behind him a second later. He still didn't respond. He wouldn't. Even if he was already weakening towards the guy mentally, no. No. He'd promised himself. Not after what had happened... He needed to just cut things off with the blond leader completely. Even if it meant going to Frank for protection. If he was even interested, that is...

" _Fuck_!" Sirius splashed his hand through the puddle of muddy water, sending ripples to break up the unsatisfactory image, his thoughts distant and unhappy. He stood up slowly, swiping his palm on dirty pants as he stared out at an ominous dark sky. His brows furrowed slightly in concern when a crack of lightning lit up the entire sky for a split second, bathing the beach and tree line in the distance in an unnatural white light. "Bad storms here...?"

"Very bad." Thunder roared all around in confirmation, the sandy ground beneath shaking.

And Sirius swore to himself. He'd slipped already. _Shit_.

"Sirius. Listen..."

A hand carefully touched to his forearm, and Sirius sidestepped quickly, moving out of reach. "All right then, we better get back," he said coolly, without looking over. He couldn't look at him, not just yet. Maybe not ever. His heart had begun to pick up speed at a concerning rate, and he cleared his throat gently, his eyes sliding shut as his mind began to waver, swimming. _Fu-uck._

"Are you okay?"

Sirius grimaced as he hummed tightly. He wouldn't answer, or maybe... maybe Remus _could_ explain. Maybe he had a really good reason that he turned into a—"Holy _fucking_ shit, _Lupin_."

"I know. Sirius"—Remus sighed in resignation as lightning flashed directly overhead—"...I know."

Sirius shook his head vehemently. He didn't, he absolutely _didn't_ know.

It began to rain. Hard.

He couldn't even _begin_ to know.

He swung around on the blond, and he shouted, "Remus, _Remus_ "—he pointed at him accusingly, his low voice cracking as he went hoarse, and he strained to get out—"Remus, you're—you're a _monster_."

* * *

-7 days before-

* * *

"Remus, Remus Lupin... hey, what's your middle name?"

Sirius watched in amusement as the sandy blond in front of him turned his head just enough to show his annoyance.

"Is it Michael?" Sirius grinned when the guy only continued to walk. He bit down on his bottom lip as his gaze shifted down some to watch the guy's extraordinarily nice backside for a few steps. "Or Aaron?" Nothing. "Hm, Aaron it is then. Remus Aaron Lupin. Has a nice ring to it..."

"I liked you better when you were more afraid of me."

Sirius let out a barking laugh. He studied the guy leading him to somewhere; he hadn't asked. Honestly, Sirius didn't really care at that moment. He was just happy to be alive, and not at the mercy of a group of scarily strong and violent men or in the jaws of some dinosaur. He was just with Remus. Walking.

"Here we are."

Sirius looked up at what Remus was pointing at. It almost looked like a tent _very_ high up in a tree. He cocked his head slowly to one side and squinted to make sure. "A tree house?"

"Mm." Remus reached out.

And the next thing Sirius knew he was being carried up the tree. He grimaced, Remus's shoulder pushing into his stomach. "I could have climbed this myself."

"No, you could not," Remus growled as he climbed carefully up the gnarled trunk with Sirius in tow.

Sirius sniffed indignantly but didn't fidget. The leaf-littered ground below was getting further away rather quickly, and he didn't know how well Remus could catch him in their current predicament. "So, is this where you bring all your love interests?"

Remus paused for half a second but then continued upward. When he spoke, it was more hesitant than Sirius was used to hearing from him. "Something like that."

Sirius hummed mentally, and he turned his head to look up at the approaching structure. It was bigger than he'd thought from the ground. It looked like it could hold at last four of the tents he and Remus had been sharing back at camp. It was made of some animal hide, and the floor appeared to just be braided vines.

Then Sirius was being set on said flooring a moment later, and he tensed involuntarily at the sensation of the vines giving slightly to his weight.

"It is safe. Just move slowly," Remus said, his serious hazel eyes boring into Sirius's wide grey as he pulled himself up into the treehouse.

Sirius held back a grimace and looked around, choosing to trust the blond leader. The ceiling was high enough he wouldn't have to duck, there was a bed like the one he and Remus had been sharing back in one corner, but it was considerably larger, and in another corner there was a pile of carved wood that closely resembled dishes. "Pretty swanky..."

"Do you like it?"

Sirius's head snapped back around at the sensation of Remus's hand on his left thigh. He found himself looking at slightly parted lips, Remus leaning over him. He nodded slightly, his pulse picked up. "Yeah, I fucking love it," he murmured roughly.

And Remus quirked the faintest smile, which had Sirius grinning back without restraint. He didn't know why, but making Remus smile had to be one of the most rewarding things he'd experienced.

Sirius cleared his throat gingerly, and he settled his right hand on Remus's flexed arm. "So what's the plan then...?"

Remus's gaze flicked down to Sirius's hand and then focused back on him. The blond took a moment to say, "Now, you stay here. I will be back."

Sirius blinked. "How long will you be?"

Remus leaned down more, his lips hovering just over Sirius's. "Not long. We need some supplies for tonight."

Sirius felt the air in his lungs catch as Remus's lower lip grazed his upper just barely, tickling it, and he worked hard to stay still. "Supplies. Right. Ah, you don't need help with that?"

"No." Remus whispered the word. Then he pressed a light kiss against the right corner of Sirius's mouth. "Stay here. Do you understand?"

Sirius struggled to agree. It wasn't like he could get out of the tree without breaking every bone in his body anyway. "And what if I get bored?"

Remus exhaled heavily. "Be bored." Sirius stared back unamused. "It is better than certain death."

Sirius felt his pulse speed up again but for a different reason than before. He nodded begrudgingly. "Nothing can get up here then?"

Remus looked away at that. "Nothing will come up here," was his obscure response.

Right. Sirius rolled his eyes and stood up carefully, the vines shifting beneath his feet and creaking softly. "Great." He looked around again, and he spotted something he'd missed. It was Remus's bag he'd gotten into before. "Any books I can read?" He tried to be nonchalant.

"No. Try to sleep, you will need the rest."

Sirius felt his chest shake with a silent laugh. He turned to respond cheekily, but he found himself alone. He treaded carefully to the edge and peered down the trunk. He could just make out short sandy blond hair. "Impressive, Remus..." he mumbled to himself. Then he turned around and locked onto the bag immediately. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he thought.

Remus would have to be gone for a while...

Sirius sighed and rubbed at his jaw, wincing when he felt rough hair. Grey eyes lit up suddenly, and he began to make his way quickly to the bag. He'd just say he was borrowing his knife to shave.

Sirius lowered down as quietly as possible, just in case the blond leader could still hear him and somehow figure out what he was doing. He started to work on the tight knot. He needed some answers.

He pulled out a book, grey eyes scanning quickly. It was Remus's journal. His heart jumped into his throat, and he flipped it open quickly.

"I don't understand what is happening to me. The pain is worse every night..." Sirius began to read to himself, dark brows pinching together. "...I remember less every day. I found two others like me last week, it started soon after that. Their names are James and Frank. James seems interested—" Sirius paused, some feeling pressing tightly in his chest. He ignored it.

He flipped a few pages in and started to read again. A frown began to tug at his lips. "Something happened to me last night. Something very bad," he mumbled softly under his breath, his concern only growing. "And there's so much blood, I don't know—"

"Enjoying yourself, Sirius?"

" _Ah_." Sirius dropped the book, and it fell directly into the bag. He jumped up and spun around, the floor beneath him creaking dangerously. He held out his hands in an appeasing gesture, hoping the blond hadn't seen the book in them. "Just looking for a knife," he spouted, and then he gave a weak smile and matching laugh. He motioned vaguely at his scruff. "Wanted to make myself pretty for tonight." He cleared his throat.

Remus's eyes narrowed, but the blond merely nodded faintly. "You will cut yourself if you use my knife."

"Mm. Maybe not then," Sirius responded, crossing his arms over his chest and working hard to keep his expression clear. Then he gave a sly smile. "Guess you'll have to suffer."

Remus eyed him for a few beats, until Sirius was close to admitting guilt, but he spoke up just in time. "It is no hardship for me, I like it."

Sirius's brows rose. "Really? You think I can pull it off?"

Remus studied his open bag as he said softly, "I think you are too attractive to worry about such things."

Sirius swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat. He felt heat rush up his chest, and he felt even more guilty for going through the guy's journal at that moment. "Did you forget something?"

Remus turned his gaze back on Sirius at that, and he studied him in a way that had the raven-haired guy wanting to fidget. "Can I trust you, Sirius?"

Sirius breathed a laugh. "What? Of course you can."

The blond leader frowned. "You lie better than you tell the truth."

Sirius blinked a few times. "I'm not sure that makes sense." He held his hands back up when he received an icy glare. "Okay, okay. I understand what you're saying, and I'm sorry. But can you blame me?"

Remus stared at him in a way that led Sirius to believe he definitely could.

The tall raven-haired guy sighed. "I just need some answers, about you, about this _place_." He waved vaguely around him. "This is all crazy, I can't just sit around and accept it without some kind of explanation."

"I have no answers, Sirius."

"But you _do_ "—Sirius took a step towards the blond—"your journal—"

"That is _not_ for you," Remus growled out, stopping Sirius cold. He gritted his teeth, baring them, his gaze locked onto Sirius like he was his prey, and he wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out. "You will find no answers in that, _stay_ out of it. Do you _understand_?"

Sirius stood frozen, his heart thumping against his ribs, pulse in his throat. "Okay..." His voice was hoarse. "Fine. I'll leave it." He relaxed slightly when the blond leader finally looked away. He waited for him to say something.

Remus turned away and left him.

* * *

"I'm glad you decided to come back. I have to piss like a racehorse."

Remus stared at him.

"I have to pee," Sirius said impatiently. "Take me down, Remus."

The blond leader pushed himself the rest of the way into the treehouse. "No. Go over the edge."

Sirius groaned. "You gotta be kidding me." But he made his way to the other side where there was a gap and began to fiddle with the zipper of his pants. He called over his shoulder casually, "Any luck with the _supplies_?"

There was a dull answering thunk as Remus placed a bag of things on the floor.

Sirius began to whistle softly, curiously listening to Remus's quiet noises behind him as he stared out at the well lit up night. "I'm kinda hungry. And thirsty."

"I know."

Sirius huffed a laugh as he did his pants back up. Then he turned around to find Remus spreading out a piece of hide like a picnic blanket. He had what looked like and definitely smelled like cooked meat wrapped inside of giant leaves and two large fruits that reminded Sirius of coconuts. He felt the corners of his mouth begin to curl up. "Are you wooing me, Remus?"

"Sit."

"Okay." Sirius sat down cross-legged and grinned at the blond, who shot him a long look before turning back to his work. Sirius watched him stand and go over to his bag, rummage for a second, then come back with his knife.

He squatted down and stabbed it effortlessly into one of the large fruits, twisted it in a circle and then placed it in front of Sirius with a grunt. Then he did his the same way.

"Thanks," Sirius said easily, watching the grumpy blond arrange their food too. "Still mad?"

Remus paused for a split second but then continued on, a second later he was seated beside Sirius. "Eat."

Sirius peeled back the leaf with a sigh, and his stomach rumbled impatiently at the smell. He picked up what could easily be half of a freakishly large chicken and began to eat. He glanced over every so often, noting the tension in Remus's shoulders and the scowl hardening his nice features. He took a drink from the fruit after seeing Remus do it. It tasted oddly somewhere between coconut milk and orange juice but was very refreshing.

It wasn't until Sirius was working on the last leg when Remus finally spoke.

"I do not have many memories."

Sirius said nothing just glanced over as he set his food down. Remus was staring straight ahead.

"There are only horrors in that book, Sirius. I have read it many times. You will find nothing useful in it, trust me."

Sirius shifted some, the braided vines beneath moving in response. "Then, you haven't always been here either?"

"It would seem not." Remus rubbed at his short blond locks. He sighed heavily.

Sirius cleaned his teeth with his tongue as he took in the unhappy blond. He cleared his throat. "So no flowers?" he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Remus slowly smiled at that, in the small wry way the guy always did, and Sirius broke into a sly grin. He looked to Sirius, his green eyes softer. "Do you want flowers, Sirius Black?"

Sirius's grin grew, and he laughed. He bent his knees and leaned his elbows on them, resting his chin in his hand, amused. "And if I did?"

Remus tilted his head to one side as if he were studying the raven-haired guy. "Then I would find you some."

Sirius felt an odd rushing in his chest, and he shifted some closer to the blond. "I don't need fucking flowers."

Remus's amused expression returned, making Sirius want to do all kinds of inappropriate stuff to the blond's face. "Mm. I thought not."

Sirius shifted even closer so that his left knee bumped gently into Remus's right thigh and their sides were only inches apart. He planted his hand just behind the blond, and he leaned in closer, the smell of earth and clean sweat and pheromones filling his senses. "You smell good," he mumbled as his lips ghosted over the guy's exposed shoulder.

"So do you. You smell of flowers and water."

Sirius laughed softly at that, his nose pressing into the side of Remus's neck. A cool breeze snuck over his skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. "That doesn't sound very _manly_ , Remus..."

"I agree," was Remus's wry response.

Sirius's chest shook, and he wrapped his free hand gently around Remus's side, the close contact sending a shock of heat and excitement to his core. He hummed softly and placed the lightest of kisses on the guy's throat. "I think I might like you..."

"Good," Remus said, his rich voice sinfully rough, "because you are mine." He reached out.

Sirius gasped, Remus's hand gripping his side firmly. He breathed into the side of the strong blond's neck, his lips parting and eyes falling half shut, his entire body feeling like a live wire.

"We should sleep now."


End file.
